Here's How Many Golden Corral Locations Survived Bankruptcy

When it comes to overindulging in the most deliciously dramatic of ways, few restaurants do it better than Golden Corral. It's self-proclaimed as America's number one buffet and grill, and with over 25,000 Yelp reviews, there's no doubting its popularity. With a menu of over 500 items, it's almost impossible not to find something that sounds good at Golden Corral. Given that there are more than 400 locations operating across America, it's hard to believe the entire franchise nearly disappeared during COVID.

You can find Golden Corral all-you-can-eat buffets in 355 cities nationwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the chain was crippled and nearly went bankrupt. Social distancing rules did not lend themselves to Golden Corral's business model, and you can imagine how difficult it would be to operate a buffet during that time. Several individual franchisees ended up filing for bankruptcy, and some estimates also put closures at nearly 25%, but the chain endured.

It took some creative thinking at the Golden Corral headquarters to keep the company afloat during those hard times. The popular chocolate fountain was removed from locations, and pseudo drive-thrus were set up in some parking lots. Some used a carhop service where customers ordered at a speaker, then parked to await their fried chicken or made-to-order steak to be delivered car-side. Others used a more advanced method, scanning a QR code to access the menu and waiting as an employee brought out their order.

You can imagine what kind of challenge it would be to turn a buffet restaurant into an impromptu drive-thru, especially without the right infrastructure. Nevertheless, Golden Corral endured. Not only that, they came out the other side even stronger than before. By June 2023, Golden Corral was earning record weekly sales. According to the International Franchise Association, Golden Corral was one of only three buffet chains to see a 125% increase in foot traffic between 2021 and 2023. That rocketed Golden Corral to 63 on the Association's list of top 400 franchises. Throughout 2024 and 2025, Golden Corral expanded across several states and Puerto Rico, opening multiple locations.

One reason Golden Corral not only survived COVID but thrived afterward was an incentive plan that the company instituted for new franchisees. It gave those opening new locations cash credits toward food supply costs: 3% of sales in the first year, 2% in the second, and 1% in the third. They also offered up to $15,000 each to train new managers and covered $5,000 in marketing expenses to support new restaurant openings.

As many other buffet chains struggled or filed for bankruptcy, Golden Corral was able to step in and set up shop in their former locations. This allows franchisees to reduce costs because it's easier to convert a restaurant that was already designed as a buffet into a Golden Corral. While there are definitely some dishes at Golden Corral you should avoid, as the company continues to grow beyond 400 locations, it's worth checking out.