Few industries have been hit as hard by COVID as the restaurant business. According to The National Restaurant Association's 2021 "State of the Restaurant Industry" report (via Restaurant.org), the restaurant industry saw sales fall by $240 billion in 2020, and more than 110,000 bars and restaurants closed either temporarily or for good amid the pandemic. It's not just small businesses feeling the heat, however. One of buffet chain Golden Corral's biggest franchisees is now closing more than half of its restaurants following a recent bankruptcy filing. Read on to discover if your local Golden Corral may be affected by the closures. And for more changes you can expect to see due to COVID, These 4 Beloved Foods Are Disappearing From Grocery Shelves, Experts Warn.
Golden Corral franchisee Platinum Corral has closed over half of its restaurants.
Platinum Corral, Golden Corral's second-largest franchisee, has recently shuttered 16 of its 28 restaurants, Restaurant Business reports. Platinum Corral, which operates restaurants in North Carolina and Virginia, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing $49.4 million in liabilities in its bankruptcy filing.
"We sincerely appreciate the hard work, dedication and hospitality shown by our employees and are grateful for each community's support and patronage for so many years," Platinum Corral CEO Bill Sewell said in a statement. And for the latest store closure news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Platinum Corral's CEO remains optimistic about avoiding further closures.
Platinum Corral, which has operated its Golden Corral franchises continuously since 1996 with the exception of mandated COVID closures, may have suffered major losses to its portfolio amid the pandemic, but Sewell says he's confident that the group's bankruptcy filing can help avoid closing additional eateries.
"We strongly believe the restructuring will afford us the opportunity to successfully operate 12 Golden Corral Buffet Restaurants in North Carolina and Virginia for the long term," Sewell said in a statement. And for more companies shuttering amid the pandemic, These 3 Beloved Clothing Brands Just Filed for Bankruptcy.
Golden Corral's largest franchisee also filed for bankruptcy amid COVID.
Platinum Corral isn't the only Golden Corral franchisee to suffer serious losses amid the pandemic. In October, Restaurant Business reported that Golden Corral's largest franchisee, 1069 Restaurant Group, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and only six of its 33 Golden Corral restaurants remained open. The company cited liabilities totaling $49.7 million—the bulk of which the group attributed to flagging sales and mandated restaurant closures amid the pandemic—as the impetus behind its bankruptcy filing.
And for another eatery that could be closing up shop, check out This Iconic Mexican Restaurant Just Filed for Bankruptcy.
Golden Corral has already shuttered more than 200 restaurants.
Even prior to its recent franchisee bankruptcy filings, Golden Corral has already seen its portfolio of restaurants shrink significantly amid the pandemic. In a March 2021 interview with Restaurant Business, Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary revealed that the chain had shrunk from 490 buffet-style restaurants to 290 buffets and 40 cafeteria-style restaurants amid the pandemic, in addition to furloughing 2,290 of its employees.
"The realities of the current situation have forced us to make difficult decisions," said Trenary in a statement (via Nation's Restaurant News). "We know these decisions are impacting the team members who we work shoulder to shoulder with every day." And if you want to protect yourself to eat out safely, check out The CDC Says If You See This at a Restaurant, Don't Go Inside.
Sarah Crow Sarah Crow is a senior editor at Eat This, Not That!, where she focuses on celebrity news and health coverage. Read moreFiled UnderBusiness • Food • NewsRead This NextThese Iconic Movie Theaters Are Closing Down
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