Golden Corral Announces New Units

Golden Corral
Published: October 1st, 2019

Nation’s Top Grill-Buffet Chain is Opening New Markets in Northeast, West

October 01, 2019 // Franchising.com // Raleigh, N.C. - Golden Corral, the nation’s largest grill-buffet chain, is leveraging its increased brand awareness with an aggressive growth strategy to rapidly expand into new territories across the country.

The brand started as a single restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1973, and has experienced steady growth throughout its long history. Golden Corral is the industry leader in the buffet category and currently has nearly 500 restaurants operating in 41 states nationwide, with more to come over the next several years.

Later this year, Golden Corral will open its first location in New York City, with a restaurant in the Bronx, and it is looking to bring the concept to additional areas throughout the tri-state market. In the first half of 2019, the company signed agreements with a mix of new and current franchisees to open an additional 13 restaurants across the country in the coming years. One of the agreements is for a new location in Manchester, New Hampshire, which will be the first Golden Corral in that state. This follows the company’s success in recent years with its expansion into California and other new territories on the west coast.

Road to Expansion:

• Golden Corral has created inroads in these newer markets in the northeast and the west coast through increased brand awareness from a decade of national television advertising. Viewers across the country are exposed to the brand’s new national campaign, The Only One for Everyone. It focuses on customers coming together at one place where everyone gets a home-cooked meal at a great price.
• The brand has been adding new locations throughout the U.S., including the states of New York and California. While other franchises have shied away from these challenges, Golden Corral has capitalized on its momentum to break into these regions and flourish. The company opened its first restaurant in California in 2012 and now has more than 20 locations in the Golden State. The state of New York is home to seven locations, with the first New York City Golden Corral restaurant opening soon.
• The family favorite dinner choices will remain the same, but the look of Golden Corral is changing. The company’s new prototype building, the Gateway, features a contemporary appearance with oversized windows, stacked fireplaces, redesigned buffet service areas, and multiple seating zones to give customers a more relaxed dining experience.
• Golden Corral is also exploring new opportunities in different venues, such as in-line retail shopping centers, conversion of existing buildings, and malls. The first Golden Corral mall location opened earlier this year in Puyallup, Washington.

“The growth of Golden Corral is a testament to stable leadership, with only three CEOs in 46 years. The brand was founded with a commitment to providing abundance and variety at a reasonable price,” said Van Ingram, Golden Corral’s Vice President of Franchise Development. “Today guests are still hungry for Golden Corral’s unique home-style cooking favorites, and entrepreneurs are jumping on the franchise opportunity to bring Golden Corral’s famous buffet experience to their communities.”

About Golden Corral

Golden Corral, based in Raleigh, N.C., is the nation’s largest grill-buffet restaurant chain with 491 restaurants operating in 41 states as of August 2019. Golden Corral is famous for its variety, including USDA steaks cooked to order, smoked meats, savory pot roast, hot yeast rolls, and desserts like homemade carrot cake and the Chocolate Wonderfall®.

Media Contacts:

Graham Chapman
919-459-8157
gchapman@919marketing.com

Sue Yannello
919-459-8162
syannello@919marketing.com

SOURCE Golden Corral