Golden Corral franchises are closing across the US but its not all bad news
Golden Corral insists its all-you-can-eat chain is booming, despite several abrupt closures over the past nine months. The comfort food buffet confirmed to USA Today that six new outposts are currently in the works, including shuttered spots being revived under new operators.The chain also projects further expansion through 2027 as all-you-can-eat buffets continue to make a comeback.
The ambitious expansion rollout follows reports of recent Golden Corral closures, spanning at least six states, with Florida and Idaho taking a hit.Illinois and Iowa also lost a location, along with Ohio and Texas.Two new restaurants are already under construction in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kissimmee, Florida.
Four additional locations are in pre-construction development: Baytown, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Spanish Fort, Alabama; and St.Petersburg, Florida.Here is the breakdown of Golden Corral outposts that have closed so far this year:Texas remains the undisputed home of Golden Corral with 47 outposts, according to the brand’s store locator, while Florida and North Carolina follow behind with 31 and 26 spots.Despite the closures, Americans are still hungry for all-you-can-eat meals.
Searches for buffet joints skyrocketed 252% year over year, per Yelp’s 2026 Food & Drink Trends report — with Asian buffets carrying most of that comeback weight after the pandemic slump.Yelp 2-26 data shows searches for all-you-can-eat dim sum, sushi, Korean BBQ, and hot pot up 224%, 93%, 591%, respectively.Golden Corral’s iconic buffet chain first debuted in North Carolina back in 1973, but first became a buffet in the 80s.
The chain sparks ’90s and 2000s nostalgia online for now-adults who remember family dinners there.“When I was a kid, going to Golden Corral wasn’t just dinner — it was a magical meal with no rules,” one nostalgia-crazed Instagrammer posted.One Tiktokker went viral for making a $12 Golden Corral free refill buffet last 12 hours.
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