There could, true, be something hinky about the $4.99 Chinese. Another possibility is that it’s family owned and run, and they don’t even bother with wages per se because they wouldn’t legally have to. They just want to get an empire off the ground and are willing to sacrifice while their vision progresses. And they go buy clearance food from groceries at end of code and other clever things that are legal and might not even be big sanitation problems (after all, sick customers mean failing business pretty soon). When American opportunity meets Asian opportunism, dynamite good things often happen for those Asians.
I think there is absolutely something hinky about any restaurant offering all you can eat specials for just $4.99. There is a lot of distressed food being sold out there, and my guess is that this is where it ends up. I live in Florida, the home of the all you can eat buffet. I have no interest in ever eating in such a place, but then, I was never one to go for the "3 large pizzas for only $5" promos that made so many companies huge (CiCi's?).
I don't want to eat pizza or buffet only costing $4.99. I'd rather eat at home.