Golden Corral, an all-you-care-to-eat buffet and grill chain serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with more than 350 locations nationwide, recently announced a new prototype design model, developed in part with Profitality, and industrial engineering-focused foodservice design consultancy. Dan Doulen, Golden Corral’s senior director of franchise business development, share more details about the new design, and the reasons behind the change.

Q: Why did Golden Corral decide to launch a new, smaller prototype?

Images courtesy of Golden CorralA: We are seeing strong consumer demand for buffet dining, supported by third-party data such as Yelp, which reported significant increases in searches for buffet restaurants. As the only national buffet brand, Golden Corral is well-positioned to respond to that demand by expanding into more markets. One of the challenges in today’s development environment is finding sites that can support larger traditional footprints while still delivering strong returns for franchisees. The new prototype allows us to maintain the variety and value our guests expect while giving us more flexibility in site selection and overall development cost.

The updated design also incorporates a kit-of-parts approach that allows us to adapt more easily to second-generation restaurant spaces, retail conversions, and non-traditional locations such as travel centers. It also intentionally supports off-premises dining, including To Go and Weigh & Pay, which continues to be a growing part of our business. Overall, the smaller footprint allows us to access more real estate opportunities, reduce development costs, and continue expanding the Golden Corral brand in a strategic and sustainable way.

Q: What is the new square footage compared to traditional models?

A: Our traditional ground-up restaurants have historically ranged from approximately 9,000 to 11,000 square feet, depending on market and seating configuration. Our updated prototype generally falls between approximately 7,700 and 9,200 square feet, depending on layout and seating mix.

The new design intentionally supports off-premises dining, including To Go and Weigh & Pay.

Q: What type of stores will feature this new format?

A: The smaller footprint will play an important role in future development, particularly for conversions of existing restaurant spaces as well as new builds. We currently have a 9,200-square-foot ground-up location under development in Baytown, Texas, and a Hooters conversion in St. Petersburg, Fla., utilizing the updated design. We are also working with franchisees on additional opportunities that fit this model.

The flexibility of the kit-of-parts approach allows us to adapt to second-generation restaurant locations, retail conversions, and non-traditional venues such as travel centers. The design is now part of our development pipeline moving forward.

Q: How is the prototype being rolled out?

A: We are actively incorporating the updated prototype into our development pipeline. The ground-up location in Baytown, Texas, and the St. Petersburg, Fla., conversion represent early applications of the design. The initial focus is on conversions and smaller footprint opportunities that allow franchisees to enter markets with lower development costs and faster timelines.

Q: Were there any changes made to expand your off-premises program?

A: Off-premises dining continues to be an important and growing part of our business, particularly through our Weigh & Pay offering. In many of our existing restaurants, off-premises ordering was added to layouts that were originally designed primarily for dine-in traffic. With the new prototype, we intentionally designed a dedicated to-go entrance and pickup area clearly branded to signal convenience and accessibility for guests utilizing To Go and Weigh & Pay.

A two-sided self-serve beverage island positioned before the cashier stations.

Q: How is the kitchen space laid out? Were there changes to the cookline or kitchen design?

A: In the updated design, we combined the Cold Choice and Bakery areas into a more efficient shared production space. This allows for more effective deployment of labor, particularly during non-peak periods.

We also worked with Profitality and our franchisees to improve the cookline layout and equipment placement. Adjustments were made to reduce unnecessary movement, improve flow, and position production closer to the food bars for more efficient replenishment. These changes allowed us to consolidate equipment and optimize hood space, contributing to overall reductions in required square footage and build-out costs. The kitchen layout is designed to support efficient replenishment of the buffet while maintaining consistent product quality and throughput.

Q: Were there any other changes implemented to streamline operations?

A: Another area that was improved was the queuing area prior to the registers. The updated design incorporates a two-sided self-serve beverage island positioned before the cashier stations. A franchisee first implemented this approach during a remodel, and beverage attachment rates increased significantly.