I’ve been going to Golden Corral since I was a child, and – if you’re anything like me – there was a decade or so where it just didn’t seem to be doing all that well.
The food had gotten kind of old.
New menu items weren’t exciting.
The brand was tired.
And then everything changed.
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It wasn’t an easy road – Golden Corral closed over a hundred restaurants during the pandemic – but now it’s rocking and rolling and growing rapidly.
Go to a Golden Corral (and if you live in one of these seven places, you’ve got or soon will have new options!), and the energy is palpable.
Customers are excited to be there.
Employees seem happier.
The food is awesome.
And Golden Corral is adding new restaurants at a fast clip!
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At a time when a bunch of buffets are struggling, Golden Corral is seeing massive success.
They’ve unlocked something special.
My two cents?
It’s part…
– nostalgia by longtime customers like me
– smart investment in marketing initiatives targeting the growing Latino population (a sizeable and rapidly growing proportion of customers)
– amazingly low prices due to really rigorous work to keep their food prices under control
And somehow through all of this…
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They’ve kept the core concept – an all-you-can-eat buffet where you go fill up your plate wherever you want – alive.
Lots of restaurants are reducing their portion sizes and trying to find ways to get people to eat less.
Not Golden Corral.
Everything feels generous in a way you just aren’t seeing elsewhere in my opinion.
And it’s no wonder Golden Corral is rapidly expanding into new markets.
Here are just a few recent, planned, and rumored spots for new Golden Corrals:
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Fresno’s new Golden Corral marks a triumphant return for a brand that once operated in Clovis but closed more than a decade ago.
Enjoy the steak, Fresno, and as much of it as you can eat!
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Golden Corral is planning to open not one, not two, but THREE locations in the Knoxville area in the next 12-18 months.
They’re still in the early stages of site selection, but the current plan is for one to be in Fountain City, one near Farragut, and one in Maryville.
Get excited!
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This new Golden Corral opened over the summer and marks the sixth (by my count) west of Riverside and near Long Beach.
Demand is high – so let’s keep building!
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Golden Corral is in the process of selecting a franchisee to run 1-2 potential Memphis locations, so we don’t have a timeline for how soon it could expand into the area.
However, it’s clear that Golden Corral is excited to grow beyond its current footprint of eight restaurants in Tennessee.
For now, the closest Golden Corral for locals is in Horn Lake over in Mississippi.
Stay tuned!
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A Golden Corral franchisee in Florida has just agreed to open a new Golden Corral in the Clearwater-Largo area.
Obviously it’s still early in the process, so we don’t know the precise location yet, but this is a great sign that Golden Corral is committed to expanding in Florida.
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The same franchisee is also preparing to open a new Golden Corral in the St. Petersburg area – so he currently owns two and is planning to open two more.
A great sign for the Sunshine State!
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This one’s speculative as all get-out, but Golden Corral has signaled its interest in expanding into Pennsylvania’s Berks, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery counties.
They’re currently looking at 17 potential individual markets, so there’s lots more detail we’ll need to see before we can really narrow it down.
Their next step is to find a local franchisee willing to partner with them, so this will be a developing story for some time.
Nonetheless – exciting news for a state that only has six Golden Corrals right now!
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Golden Corral is eyeing 400 potential markets for future expansions – which would represent more than a double vs the company’s current more than 350 locations.
There’s lots to be excited about, and if you live in one of these seven places, congratulations on your new, future, or rumored Golden Corral!
Which reminds me – I have a question for you…
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Where would YOU like to see a new Golden Corral?
Let us know in the comments!
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