Golden Corral Is Closing Restaurants in Six States — and Planning Six New Ones

Golden Corral Is Closing Restaurants in Six States — and Planning Six New Ones

America's biggest buffet chain is shedding stores in six states

Golden Corral, which markets itself as "America's #1 buffet and grill," has shut at least six restaurants across six states this year — Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Florida, Idaho and Texas. Most had served their communities for more than 20 years; the longest ran for 35. A seventh site, in Independence, Missouri, closed on Oct. 4.

The company says 330 locations remain, 99% franchised

Golden Corral Corporation told USA TODAY it now operates roughly 330 restaurants across dozens of states and territories, 99% of them run by independent franchisees. Founded in 1973 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as a steakhouse, the chain shifted to an all-you-can-eat format in the late 1990s and is now headquartered in Raleigh. The company acknowledged more closures than usual this year, but said the reasons depend largely on each individual franchise.

Davenport: 28 years, closed with no explanation

The Elmore Avenue store in Davenport, Iowa, shut on July 6 after 28 years, placing its opening around 1998, according to the Moline Dispatch & Rock Island Argus — which reported no public reason was given. Silent exits are common in this round: the Canton, Ohio, location closed Feb. 1 after 24 years, and the Boise, Idaho, store closed in September, also without a stated reason.

Alton: owners said the site is 'no longer sustainable'

The Alton, Illinois, restaurant on Homer M. Adams Parkway closed in late April. Owners told the Belleville News-Democrat the location "is no longer able to operate sustainably." In Boynton Beach, Florida, a 20-year-old store closed July 26, with the end of its lease and operating shifts cited.

Brownsville: a 35-year run ended by rent and renovations

South Texas saw the longest-running casualty. The store at 4555 North Expressway 77/83 in Brownsville closed Sept. 14 after 35 years, MySanAntonio.com reported. Franchise owner Gaspar Hernandez cited higher costs, renovations Golden Corral requires and a rent increase. That mix of pressure — rising rent, mandatory upgrades, thinner margins — echoes across the closures.

Independence: the Kansas City area is down to two

In the Kansas City metro, the Independence store on East Valley View Parkway closed Oct. 4 after about 15 years. Two managers confirmed the wind-down to The Kansas City Star only in the final week, and customers were urged to spend gift cards before the doors shut. The metro's remaining options are now in Kansas City and Olathe.

The pandemic broke the buffet model

The deeper cause reaches back to COVID-19. Buffets depend on self-service lines, which were nearly impossible to run during lockdowns. Golden Corral's largest franchise group, 1069 Restaurant Group, filed for Chapter 11 in 2020. Buffets LLC, which ran Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet and Ryan's, had roughly 90 restaurants before the pandemic; almost all closed during bankruptcy restructuring. Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes shut all 97 locations in 2020, and only returned in 2024 in Tucson, Arizona, under new ownership.

Diners eat out less, and food prices are up 3.4%

Costs are pressing from the other side. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show prices for food away from home rose 3.4% in the 12 months through August 2026. CEO Lance Trenary said loyal customers typically visit about 1.5 times a week — roughly 70 times a year — but are coming in less often than before. Food accounts for about 38% of sales, higher than a typical restaurant, while rent and utilities are held to about 10%. He also conceded that "value" and "affordability" are not the same thing.

Closing big boxes, opening small ones

Even so, the chain is not retreating everywhere. Trenary told FSR Magazine the brand is exploring smaller formats in travel plazas, airports and on college campuses. A new store under construction in Baytown, Texas, is about 7,500 square feet, well below the roughly 10,500-square-foot prototype, cutting rent and operating costs and widening where it can open. Golden Corral has also been eyeing former Red Lobster and TGI Fridays sites; a new St. Petersburg restaurant takes over a former Hooters building — 8,105 square feet, seating 254.

Six new restaurants in 2027, and old sites may reopen

Golden Corral confirmed to USA TODAY that it will open six new restaurants in 2027, without saying where. Two are under construction, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kissimmee, Florida; four more are in pre-construction in Baytown, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Spanish Fort, Alabama; and St. Petersburg, Florida. The company said many shuttered locations could reopen under new franchise owners, and expects to keep expanding into 2027.