Golden Corral closes at least six restaurants this year, says six more are in the works

Golden Corral has closed at least six restaurants this year, in Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Texas, according to a USA TODAY tally of local reports, but the buffet chain says it is still growing and expects to keep expanding into 2027.

The Raleigh, North Carolina-based company told the newspaper that six new restaurants are in development and that many of the shuttered locations could reopen under new franchise owners. Golden Corral first announced the six-restaurant pipeline in an April 30 news release.

“We believe that Golden Corral’s strongest growth opportunities are still ahead of us,” CEO Lance Trenary said in that release.

Two of the new restaurants are under construction, in Knoxville, Tennnesse, and Kissimmee, Florida. Four more are in the pre-construction phase, in Baytown, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Spanish Fort, Alabama; and St. Petersburg, Florida. The company’s restaurant locator lists the Knoxville location as opening in fall 2026.

USA TODAY compiled its list of closures from local news reports, social media posts and Google listings, so the count may not be complete. The reasons given for the closures it identified, where any were given, differ from restaurant to restaurant.

A Canton, Ohio, restaurant that had operated for more than 20 years closed Feb. 1 without a stated reason. In Alton, Ill., a franchisee announced an April 30 closing, saying the location was “no longer able to operate sustainably,” but TheStreet reported that the restaurant shut a week early, on April 23, citing staffing problems.

USA TODAY reported that restaurants in Davenport, Iowa (July 6), Boynton Beach, Fla. (July 26), Boise, Idaho (September) and Brownsville, Texas (Sept. 14) followed. The Boynton Beach location cited the end of its lease and changes in operations. The Brownsville franchise owner pointed to required renovations and rising costs, including rent. No reasons were publicly cited for the Davenport or Boise closures.

Texas has the most Golden Corral restaurants, with 47, followed by Florida with 31 and North Carolina with 26, according to the locator. Idaho and Iowa now have one each.