Golden Corral has closed at least six restaurants across the U.S. this year, but none of the closures tallied so far are in Maryland. The buffet chain still lists six Maryland locations, including the one near Arundel Mills that is the closest to Baltimore, after a round of Maryland closures in 2024 left the region with fewer options.
Searches for Golden Corral closures jumped this week after USA TODAY reported that the Raleigh, North Carolina-based chain had more shutdowns this year than usual. Here is what is happening nationally and what it means for Maryland diners.
Which Golden Corral locations closed in 2026?
According to a USA TODAY tally of local reports, published Oct. 14, these restaurants have closed this year:
| Location | Closed | Reason given |
|---|---|---|
| Canton, Ohio | Feb. 1 | None given |
| Alton, Illinois | April 30 | Owners said it could no longer operate sustainably |
| Davenport, Iowa | July 6 | None given |
| Boynton Beach, Florida | July 26 | End of lease, operational changes |
| Boise, Idaho | September | None given publicly |
| Brownsville, Texas | Sept. 14 | Required renovations, rising costs including rent |
The company told USA TODAY the chain is still growing, that six new restaurants are in development and that many shuttered locations could reopen under new franchise owners. Restaurants are under construction in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kissimmee, Florida, with others in pre-construction in Baytown, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Spanish Fort, Alabama; and St. Petersburg, Florida. None of the planned openings are in Maryland.
Is any Maryland Golden Corral closing?
There are no reported Maryland closures in 2026. Golden Corral’s location directory lists six restaurants in the state as of Thursday:
| City | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 706 S. Philadelphia Blvd. | 410-272-0668 |
| Elkton | 221 Belle Hill Road | 410-398-9193 |
| Frederick | 5621 Spectrum Drive | 301-662-5922 |
| Hanover (Arundel Mills) | 7047 Arundel Mills Blvd. | 410-799-0959 |
| Largo | 1001 Shoppers Way | 301-324-6807 |
| Waldorf | 2800 Crain Highway | 301-893-8790 |
Hours vary by restaurant and franchise. Because most Golden Corral locations are franchised, individual owners can make closure decisions quickly, so it is worth calling ahead before a long drive.
What happened to the Baltimore-area Golden Corrals?
The Baltimore area lost most of its Golden Corral options in early 2024. WMAR-2 News reported in January 2024 that three of Maryland’s nine Golden Corrals had closed: the Rossville Boulevard restaurant in Baltimore County (permanently), the Hagerstown location, and the Glen Burnie location, which was described at the time as temporarily closed. Neither Glen Burnie nor Hagerstown appears in the chain’s current directory.
The Rossville Boulevard building, at 7908 Rossville Blvd. just east of Belair Road, was sold in August 2024 and is now home to Aurora Seafood & Grill Buffet, which held its grand opening in September 2025, according to WMAR-2 News.
That leaves Hanover, near Arundel Mills, as the closest Golden Corral to downtown Baltimore. Harford County diners have the Aberdeen restaurant, while Cecil County has Elkton.
Why are Golden Corral locations closing?
The company says reasons depend largely on each franchise, and the closures reported this year point to local factors rather than a corporate wind-down. Owners have cited lease expirations, required renovations and higher costs, including rent.
“is no longer able to operate sustainably.”
Owners of the Alton, Illinois, Golden Corral, as reported by USA TODAY
Golden Corral opened its first restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1973 and remains privately held. The chain had about 399 locations in 43 states and Puerto Rico as of 2025, most of them franchised, according to its Wikipedia entry. That company-wide count is higher than the roughly 330 restaurants USA TODAY found by adding up the state totals in the chain’s locator this month, though the two figures were compiled differently and should not be read as an exact measure of closures.
What should Maryland diners watch for next?
- Check the locator before you go. A location that drops off Golden Corral’s directory is usually the first public sign of a closure.
- Use gift cards and rewards points. Golden Corral’s rewards program is tied to purchases, so points are only useful if a nearby restaurant stays open.
- Watch for reopenings. The company says some closed restaurants could return under new franchise owners, but it has not named any Maryland sites.
For another recent Harford County restaurant closing, Steelefish Grille in Bel Air closed abruptly in August after 14 years.
Featured image: A Golden Corral restaurant in Durham, North Carolina. Photo: Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.