Who Owns Golden Corral?

Is Golden Corral publicly traded?
No, Golden Corral is a privately held company. It does not have publicly traded stock and does not disclose detailed financial results. The company is owned by its founders, their families, and internal stakeholders. James Maynard, one of the original founders, has maintained involvement in the company's governance. Golden Corral has remained private throughout its 50-plus year history.

Who founded Golden Corral?
Golden Corral was founded on January 3, 1973, by James Maynard and David Scopelliti in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The first restaurant was called Golden Corral Family Steak House. The founders quickly pivoted from a steakhouse concept to a buffet format after observing stronger customer response to the all-you-can-eat value proposition. Maynard has remained involved with the company throughout its history.

How many Golden Corral locations are there?
Golden Corral finished 2025 with 348 restaurants across 39 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, down three units from the prior year. The company has six new locations under development in 2026, including restaurants in Knoxville, Tennessee; Kissimmee, Florida; Baytown, Texas; St. Petersburg, Florida; Spanish Fort, Alabama; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The company plans to double its presence by 2035.

Who owns Golden Corral?
Golden Corral is privately held by its founders, their families, and internal stakeholders. The company does not have publicly traded stock. Approximately 99 percent of Golden Corral restaurants are franchised, meaning individual locations are owned and operated by independent franchisees, not by the corporate entity. The corporate company owns a small number of restaurants and manages brand strategy, franchise support, and supply chain operations.

What is Golden Corral's revenue?
Golden Corral does not disclose corporate revenue as a private company. However, consumer spending at Golden Corral reached approximately $1.9 billion in 2025, according to Circana's 2026 U.S. Restaurant Ranking. The average unit volume is estimated at $4.8 million. The top quartile of new restaurants averages approximately $7.5 million in AUV, and a Puerto Rico location became the first to exceed $12 million in annual sales.

Does Golden Corral franchise?
Yes, approximately 99 percent of Golden Corral restaurants are franchised. The company has approximately 600 franchisees operating locations under Golden Corral's brand standards. The franchise incentive program offers qualified franchisees reimbursements of 3 percent of year-one sales, 2 percent of year-two sales, and 1 percent of year-three sales, plus a $5,000 grand opening marketing credit and up to $45,000 in manager training expense reimbursement.

What is Golden Corral Favorites?
Golden Corral Favorites is a fast-casual spinoff format relaunched in 2025. It operates from approximately 3,500 square feet, compared to the traditional 11,000-square-foot Golden Corral restaurant. The format is designed for smaller real estate footprints and focuses on off-premises dining, including to-go orders and third-party delivery through partnerships with Grubhub and Uber Eats.