Here's How Many Golden Corral Locations Survived Bankruptcy - Tasting Table

"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."

Golden Corral operates more than 400 locations across America and offers a menu of over 500 items, with extensive customer reviews. The chain runs all-you-can-eat buffets in 355 cities nationwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing rules crippled the buffet business model, prompting several franchisees to file for bankruptcy and estimated closures near 25%. Headquarters implemented operational changes: removed chocolate fountains, created pseudo drive-thrus and carhop delivery, and introduced QR-code ordering. These adaptations allowed the chain to endure significant challenges and by June 2023 to earn record weekly sales.

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