The Golden Corral buffet and grill is an American restaurant chain that offers sumptuous food at a reasonable price. It is based in Raleigh, NC, and it operates in various parts of the country – 43 states to be precise. The brand was founded by James Maynard and William Carl in 1971, and it has nearly 500 locations throughout the US. Since it is such a vastly grand eatery, is there a senior discount at Golden Corral? Of course, there is!
Here’s a fun fact – senior citizens comprise nearly 17% of the US population. So it’s hard to ignore those millions when it comes to serving food. And since seniors have a limited income, Golden Corral has recently decided that it needs to offer a viable discount on its menu to attract the elderly. Please note that the discounts vary depending on your age.
Golden Corrals Senior Discount Policy in 2022
Golden Corral was built on the idea that steaks should be a feasible alternative to regular lunch and dinner. However, since the health revolution of the ‘90s which slammed the consumption of red meat, the diner’s customers started dwindling. Did you know that at one point, Golden Corral operated more than 500 outlets in the US?
As red meat consumption slowed down, the company’s outlet number began to decrease. Hence, they expanded their menu into healthier quarters. However, their buffet menu includes steaks to this day. And who other than baby boomers and seniors would happily consume the stuff! That is partly the reason why they have started offering the Golden Corral senior discount in 2022.
You receive a 10% discount on your order if you are older than 55 years of age. It is similar to the Ross Dress for Less senior discount of 10% on your bill. If you are a sprite young person who doesn’t look 55, then you may be asked to prove your age with an ID. However, most of the Golden Corral locations will take you at your word and offer the senior discount without thinking twice.
Golden Corral Senior Lunch Discount
The restaurant’s lunch discount is far better than the regular Golden Corral prices in 2022. However, you will need to be at least age 60 to avail of the offer. Five additional years are added to the eligibility of the deal, probably to ensure that the person is indeed a baby boomer and a red meat enthusiast.
The discounted buffet has got a special name: Golden Corral Senior’s Buffet. The lunch buffet priced at just $8 is available during the regular lunch hours (sometime between 11.00 AM and 4.00 PM). If you are looking to wash down your lunch with their excellent set of beverages, then you will only have to pay an additional $2. Additionally, if you are going on a dinner date with that special someone, then you won’t have to shell out more than $12 for your senior dinner buffet.
Golden Corral Early Bird Special Discount
The Senior Early Bird special discount is similar to their senior lunch discount. The only remarkable difference is that you can have your entire lunch for $8.59, which includes one of their many beverages and the entire bakery bar. Plus, their menu is no different from the regular menu for regular customers. So that saves you nearly $2.50 on your senior discount bill, and a lot more than your regular bill!
The Golden Corral senior discount hours for early birds are from 2.00 PM to 3.00 PM. The schedule is tight, due to which you may find many other seniors at their outlets during this hour. But take the glass-half-full view of it. You will have many other seniors your age to socialize with as you chomp on Golden Corral’s delicious recipes for a fraction of the regular price! And here’s the icing on the cake – quite a few early bird Corral senior discount members were sometimes allowed to extend the hours till 4.00 PM!
FAQs
Does Golden Corral give AARP Discount?
AARP stands for American Association of Retired Persons. It is a focus group based in Washington, D.C., that helps to resolve any problems faced by seniors over the age of 50. This unique organization has tie-ups with various American businesses including Walgreens, Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, etc. Unfortunately, Golden Corral doesn’t offer a special discount for AARP members.
Golden Corral’s senior discount scale is similar to that of the Walmart senior discount age of 55. AARP members between the ages of 50 and 55 won’t be offered any senior discount, but those at or above 55 can avail of the general Golden Corral senior discount. And people over the age of 60 can easily grab their early bird or lunch/dinner deal.
At What Time Does Golden Corral Close?
As mentioned before, Golden Corral has nearly 500 outlets around the US. Many outlets have different closing hours depending on the existing state laws. However, the restaurant is usually open any time between 10 AM and 10 PM. Also, note that the Golden Corral senior discount times may vary depending on the resto’s regular operating hours. For instance, if the outlet closes early at around 8.00 PM, then the early bird senior discount may strictly shut down at 3.00 PM.
Does Golden Corral Give You a Free Meal on Your Birthday?
No, it doesn’t. At least not a free meal, but some other surprise, definitely! Golden Corral’s birthday gift is not unlike the Verizon Wireless senior discount, where your friends and family can send you gift cards that you can unwrap only on your birthday. At Golden Corral, your mates can send you a gift card, but the company also contributes to the gift in a way.
If you are already a member of the Golden Corral senior discount 2022 reward club, then you will receive a freebie on your birthday upon visiting your nearest restaurant. The freebie includes a free beverage after you purchase an adult buffet. Not much? We agree. However, if you count the gift cards from your friends, then you may as well get the entire buffet for free!
At What Time Does Dinner Start at Golden Corral?
The dinner times at Golden Corral may vary depending on their official closing hours. However, under regular circumstances, dinner mostly begins at 7 PM and ends at 10 PM. But it doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy their buffet steaks before time. Their cooks start preparing dinner delicacies from 4 PM itself, so you can certainly order a dinner buffet before time if you want.
The Golden Corral senior discount hours are fixed, however. You can avail of your senior discount dinner deal only during the times specified by the particular outlet. As mentioned in the previous section, this senior dinner discount deal either comprises a flat-off on the final bill, or a free beverage worth more than $2. You can usually grab this deal anytime after 4 PM, but be sure to check with your nearest Golden Corral outlet, as the times often differ.
About Golden Corral
Golden Corral has been around for nearly 50 years. It started off as a family-owned steakhouse in 1973, in a then small town called Fayetteville, in North Carolina. Within just about 15 years, the restaurant expanded into a wide chain consisting of over 500 outlets in various parts of the US. The owners soon started franchising their brand to their most trusted managers.
However, since red meat consumption issues began cropping up in the early ‘90s, Golden Corral’s sales rapidly started to fall during the transition period. Part of the reason can also be attributed to the poor training provided to managers and their personnel. But their plan to extend into the metropolitan cities around saved the day.
Doubling its capacity from 5000 Sq. ft. to over 10,000, Golden Corral entered the “metro market” with a bang. And by 2001, their yearly scales had skyrocketed to over $1 billion. However, it was their implementation of the “Strata” concept of allowing guests complete transparency during food preparation that made them an additional amount of big bucks. This happened sometime during the mid-2000s.
Eventually, as Golden Corral started amassing greater revenues over the years, they initiated partnerships with premier food delivery companies like DoorDash and Grubhub. It was around the same period that a senior discount at Golden Corral began. Those partnerships helped the company quite a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the increasing number of outlets getting closed due to inefficiency.
Morgan Elfman is a compassionate writer, dedicated caregiver, and passionate advocate for senior well-being. Born and raised with a deep sense of empathy and a natural inclination towards service, Morgan has devoted her life to making a positive impact on the lives of seniors.
As a writer for www.choiceseniorlife.com, Morgan utilizes his skills to create insightful and informative content that addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by seniors and their families. Her articles not only provide valuable information on health, lifestyle, and care options but also strive to inspire and empower seniors to lead fulfilling lives.
