Golden Corral franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.22 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

4% · 4% of Gross Sales, paid weekly by electronic funds transfer

Marketing contribution

2.4% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Qu POS software $311.50/month per location (minimum hardware package) or $364/month (larger package); POS hardware subscription (if HaaS) $298.30-$395.87/month plus $40/month help desk

Other fees

Network & security bundle (AT&T) $248.75/month; Golden Corral help desk $220.83/month; back-of-house system (Decision Logic) $190/month

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds (first 3 months of operation): $19,000 - $125,000

Fees sourceFDD p.13 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.22 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average and median gross sales plus average/median operating income (gross sales less food, labor and controllable expenses, before royalty, rent, debt service, etc.), split by Metro, Small and Non-Traditional markets, with top/bottom 20% and post-2016 openings tables

Reporting period

Fiscal year 2025 (January 1 - December 31, 2025)

Sample

315 franchised restaurants (263 Metro, 50 Small, 2 Non-Traditional) of 343 franchised in operation at year end; excludes 7 that left the system, 1 that opened during 2025, and 27 that had not reported

Reported average

$4,923,317

Reported median

$4,659,201

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.71 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

348

Year-end outlets

344

Net change

-4

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

3

Terminations

6

Non-renewals

1

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

8

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.80 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

28 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$2,275,850

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

12 loans

Historical charge-off share

8.33%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

7 / 84

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Golden Corral franchise cost?

Small Traditional (~7,700-8,500 sq ft): $3,631,328 to $4,508,130; Medium Traditional (~8,500-9,500 sq ft): $3,828,846 to $5,318,130; Large Traditional (~9,500-11,000 sq ft): $4,147,296 to $6,162,930; Conversion Restaurant: $2,237,950 to $4,505,430; Travel Center Location (~5,000-6,000 sq ft): $1,475,950 to $2,853,130 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.22 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Golden Corral owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average and median gross sales plus average/median operating income (gross sales less food, labor and controllable expenses, before royalty, rent, debt service, etc.), split by Metro, Small and Non-Traditional markets, with top/bottom 20% and post-2016 openings tables. Sample: 315 franchised restaurants (263 Metro, 50 Small, 2 Non-Traditional) of 343 franchised in operation at year end; excludes 7 that left the system, 1 that opened during 2025, and 27 that had not reported. Period: Fiscal year 2025 (January 1 - December 31, 2025).

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.71 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Golden Corral?

8.33%; numerator / denominator: 7 / 84. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $2,275,850; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 12 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗