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Updated RecentlyGolden Corral Cost Comparisons
About Golden Corral
Golden Corral restaurants began as budget steakhouses located principally in small cities from Virginia to Texas. In the mid-1980s, guest requests prompted Golden Corral to reinvent itself by introducing the Buffet & Grill Metro unit that features 160 hot and cold items, a carving station, and the Brass Bell Bakery, which offers rolls, muffins, cookies, pies and pizza made from scratch. The buffet was expanded in 2001 to include cooked-to-order sirloin steaks.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a restaurant
ranges from $2,700,795 to $5,340,215 for the less expensive restaurant
design, and from $3,453,379 to $7,037,915 for the more expensive
restaurant design. This amount includes $51,400 to $4,482,285 that must
or may be paid to the franchisor or its affiliates.
#90 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
Full Service Restaurant Franchise Opportunities
Below is a quick comparison of Golden Corral against other Full Service Restaurant franchises and business opportunities. For an in depth comparison of Golden Corral with another opportunity including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options click on the name of the company to view the detailed comparison.
| Franchise | Franchise Fee | Royalty | Advertising Fee | Development Costs |
| 5 & Diner | $35,000 | 5% | $250,000-$750,000 | |
| abc Country Restaurants | $50,000 | 4% | 2% | $250,000-$700,000 |
| Albert's Family Restaurant | $25,000 | $280,000-$400,000 | ||
| Another Broken Egg Cafe | $50,000 | 5% | 1% | $505,500-$1,175,500 |
| Applebee's | $35,000 | 4% initially, 5% possible after | not less than 4% | $2,009,038-$8,267,250 |
| Applejack's | $25,000 | 4% | 2% | $250,000-$275,000 |
| Arthur Treacher's | $30,000 | 5% | $145,000-$268,000 | |
| Au Vieux Duluth Express | $30,000-$40,000 | $175,000-$500,000 | ||
| Bar Louie | $50,000 | 5% | 2% local, 1%Nat'l | $923,500-$3,707,333 |
| Baton Rouge Restaurant | $60,000 | 5% | 2% | $1,600,000-$1,800,000 |
| Ben & Florentine Restaurants | $35,000 | 6% | $619,650-$817,800 | |
| Bennigan's Grill & Tavern | $35,000 | 4% | 1% | $1,027,075-$3,588,244 |
| Best of Mediterranean | $20,000 | 4% | $126,300-$574,700 | |
| Big Boy Restaurants | $40,000 | 4% | 1% local +2% Nat'l | $861,800-$3,568,000 |
| Black Bear Diners | $55,000 | 4.5% | 1% | $1,133,800-$2,114,200 |
| Black Rock Bar & Grill | $50,000 | 4% | 1% | $1,519,940-$2,957,625 |
| Bombshells Restaurant | $50,000 | 5.5% | $1,731,000-$3,086,000 | |
| Boscos | N/A | $827,000-$994,000 | ||
| Browns Socialhouse | $50,000 | 6% | $2,000,000-$2,500,000 | |
| Casey's | $60,000 | 5% | 4% | $500,000-$1,600,000 |
| Chocolate Bar | N/A | $250,000-$500,000 | ||
| Cool Hand Luke's | $50,000 | $373,000-$1,817,500 | ||
| Cool-de-Sac | $75,000 | 6% | $858,700-$1,988,667 | |
| Cosi Inc | $40,000 | 5% | 2% | $762,600-$899,800 |
| Country Kitchen | $40,000 | 4% | 3% local + 1% Int'l | $425,000-$1,685,000 |
| Denny's | $10,000-$30,000 | 4.5%-7% | 3%-3.5% | $305,000-$2,404,695 |
| Dunn's Famous | $20,000-$50,000 | 5% | 2%Nat'l+1% Local | $150,000-$800,000 |
| Eggspectation | $50,000 | 5% | 2% Nat'l 1% local | $650,000-$1,500,000 |
| Einstein Bros. Bagels | $35,000 | 5% | 5% | $138,550-$935,850 |
| Elmer's | $40,000 | 4% | 1% | $712,000-$3,209,500 |
| Fresh To Order | $30,000 | $489,500-$646,500 | ||
| Friendly Banners | $30,000 | 4% | 2% | $450,000 |
| Friendly's Restaurants | $30,000-$35,000 | 4% | 3.5% | $498,500-$1,950,000 |
| Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen | $25,000 | 6% | 2% local +1% Nat'l | $302,450-$558,950 |
| George Webb Restaurants | $250,000 | $402,000-$850,000 | ||
| Giorgio Restaurants | $25,000-$50,000 | 4.5%-7% | $175,000-$500,000 | |
| Golden Griddle | $25,000 | 5% | $100,000-$450,000 | |
| Great Steak | $30,000 | 6% | $155,900-$520,300 | |
| Hard Rock Cafe | $350,000-$750,000 | $2,995,000-$4,910,000 | ||
| Hard Times Cafe | $30,000 | $449,000-$1,000,000 | ||
| Hooters | $75,000 | 5% | 2.5% | $956,500-$4,275,000 |
| Houlihan's | $40,000 | 4% | $1,600,000-$4,300,000 | |
| House of Jazz | $75,000 | 5% | 2% | $750,000-$1,200,000 |
| Humpty's | $30,000 | 5% | 2% | $495,000-$695,000 |
| I Dream of Falafel | $25,000 | 5% | 3% | $337,811-$470,302 |
| IHOP | $40,000-$50,000 | 4.5% | 3.5% | $414,866-$3,374,043 |
| IL FORNELLO | $35,000 | 4% | 1% | $100,000-$700,000 |
| Indigo Joe's | $30,000 | 5% | 1.5% | $1,200,000-$1,300,000 |
| Kayson's Grille | $25,000 | 5% | 1% | $489,700-$618,000 |
| Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants | $75,000 | 5% | $49,789,087-$70,127,050 | |
| L and L Franchise | $30,000 | 3%-4% | 1%-2% | $133,700-$535,000 |
| La Madeleine | $40,000 | 5% | 2.5% | $1,249,362-$3,088,747 |
| La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill | $25,000-$50,000 | 5% | 3% | $189,550-$992,590 |
| Manhattan Bagel | $25,000 | 5% | 5% | $481,000-$705,000 |
| Manny's Grill | $25,000 | 5% | $171,235-$516,652 | |
| Max & Erma's | $40,000 | 4% | $622,500-$3,100,000 | |
| McAlister's Deli | $15,000-$35,000 | 5% | 3% | $398,000-$2,094,200 |
| Miami Grill | $30,000 | 6% | 3% | $175,000-And Up |
| Naples Tomato | $30,000 | 5% | 5% | $1,353,000-$1,892,500 |
| Original Joe's | $39,000 | 5% | 2% | $950,000 |
| Palapas Restaurants | $30,000 | 5% | $750,000-$2,000,000 | |
| Pantry, The | $40,000 | $450,000-$600,000 | ||
| Perkins | $40,000 | 4% | $1,557,975-$2,742,975 | |
| Perko's Cafe Grill | $35,000 | 4% | $292,500-$1,357,000 | |
| Quaker Steak & Lube | $40,000 | 5% | 3% | $1,800,000-$3,700,000 |
| Red Hot & Blue | $45,000 | 5% | $380,700-$1,000,000 | |
| Rhapsody's | $42,500-$56,000 | 6% | 1 - 3% | $565,000-And Up |
| Ricky's | $45,000 | 4.5% | 3% | $800,000-$950,000 |
| Ricky's All Day Grill | $45,000 | 5% | 3% | $300,000-And Up |
| Roy Rogers | $30,000 | 5% | 3% | $767,250-$1,580,950 |
| Ruby Tuesday | $35,000 | 4% of gross sales | 1.5% of gross sales | $1,559,650-$3,877,400 |
| Salsarita's Fresh Cantina | $30,000 | 5% | 1% Nat'l 1.5% Local | $283,150-$563,900 |
| Sam & Louie's N Y Pizza | $25,000 | 5% | $331,500-$474,700 | |
| Sammy J Peppers | $50,000 | $750,000-$1,500,000 | ||
| Seacrets | $45,000 | 6% and 10% from hotel | 1% local | $1,639,333-$3,061,667 |
| Shingle Inn Cafes | N/A | $250,001-$450,000 | ||
| Shoney's Restaurants | $25,000-$35,000 | 2.5-3.5% | $568,000-$2,800,000 | |
| Smitty's Restaurants | $35,000 | $400,000-$600,000 | ||
| Soul De Cuba Cafe | $65,000 | 6% | $160,350-$487,000 | |
| Soul Fixins' Restaurant | $30,000 | 5% | $274,000-$524,000 | |
| South Philly Steak & Fries | $25,000 | $292,500-$464,500 | ||
| Symposium Cafe | $40,000 | 4% | 1% | $625,000-$675,000 |
| T.G.I. Friday's | N/A | $1,000,000-$3,000,000 | ||
| Taste Of Mediterranean | $12,000-$20,000 | $1,000. a month, Flat Fee. | 2% | $99,000-And Up |
| Tin Star Restaurant | $20,000-$35,000 | 4% | $500,000 | |
| Twin Peaks | $50,000 | 5% | 3% | $1,309,800-$2,365,900 |
| Uccello's Ristorante, Pizzeria & Sports Lounge | $50,000 | 5% | 5% | $1,332,100-$1,958,333 |
| uWink | $50,000 | 4% + 2% Technology Fee | 1% | $1,645,000-$3,472,000 |
| Village Inn Restaurants | $40,000 | 4% | 1%local +0.5%Nat'l | $963,000-$2,570,000 |
| Western Sizzlin | $30,000 | 3% | $811,000-$2,300,000 | |
| White Hen Pantry | $30,000 | Varies | $52,400-$225,200 | |
| White Spot Restaurants | $75,000 | $900,000-And Up | ||
| Wimpys Diner | $30,000 | 4% | 2% | $250,000-$500,000 |
| Winger's Grill & Bar | $35,000 | 4% | $150,000-$550,000 | |
| Zaxby's | $35,000 | 6% | 2.87%-5% | $343,200-$695,200 |