Most Golden Corral restaurants have a seating capacity of 300 to 400 people. There are even locations big enough to accommodate up to 650 people.
But although GC welcomes a lot of customers every single day, they don’t have as many waitstaff as other large restaurants. That’s because it’s a buffet restaurant, which means fewer servers are needed.
If you’re planning to visit Golden Corral for the first time, one of the things you probably want to know is what’s the customer service like at this cheapest restaurant?
- Do the waiters greet you with a smile?
- Do they bring your drinks to your table?
- Do they clear the tables promptly?
- Are they attentive to your needs or concerns?
Read on to get a better idea of the customer service you can expect at Golden Corral.
Understanding Buffet Service
Buffet service is like a food adventure where you get to choose what you want to eat from a table filled with all kinds of dishes.
Here’s how it works:
- You walk up to the buffet table and serve yourself.
- Want more? No problem.
- You can go back for seconds or thirds whenever you like.
Unlike when your food is already served on a plate, with buffet you get to pick from a bunch of different dishes. And more importantly, you decide how much you want to eat. Take a little or load up your plate – it’s up to you!
There are different types of buffet service:
Simple Buffet
You grab your food from the buffet line, and friendly waiters are around to tidy up tables and help out if you need anything.
Station-Type Buffet
The waiters bring drinks to your table while you fetch your food from the buffet line. It’s like having your own personal beverage butler!
Modified Deluxe Buffet
Tables are set up with everything you need, and waiters serve drinks and desserts. You still get to choose your main dishes from the buffet.
Deluxe Buffet
This is the VIP experience! Waiters serve you appetizers, soups or salads, and drinks, while you select your main course from the buffet. It’s like being treated like royalty!
The type of buffet at Golden Corral is like a cross between a simple and station-type of buffet because they bring drinks to you.
What People Say About Golden Corral’s Customer Service
I’ve dined at various Golden Corral locations quite a few times in the last 30 years and I can say from my own personal experience that the service is good, if not great. I mean, you’re not dining at a 5-star cheapest restaurant here. You’re paying $16.99 for a dinner buffet, you can’t expect to be treated in the same way diners are treated at Peter Luger’s.
Nevertheless let me share with you some testimonials from other customers who have tried the Golden Corral experience:
Anastasia M
We loved our waiter!!!!
Our group was driving back home from a youth conference. We had 36 hungry teenagers and we were seated in a back room to accommodate for our group size. We were served by one of the loveliest waitresses we’ve ever encountered. Her name was Jangie and her service was incredible! She is one of the most patient and willing servers you’ll meet. Food was good, place was clean, (and as we’ve mentioned) service was great!
Mark O
Clean and great service
The food was ok, Buffet entrees where kind of low. My waitress was awesome. Overall, I would go back.
Terrell P
Great value for the money! With a special shout-out to Bonnie!
I was hesitant to go to this restaurant because buffets are usually too crowded and (because of the need for a high volume of food) usually sacrifice for quantity over quality. But this Golden Corral stacks up among the best! I was pleasantly surprised. The food was fresh and there was a large assortment of items (salads, hot foods/entrees, sides, desserts), so everyone in my family was able to find several things they liked. To top it off, Bonnie, our server, was awesome- friendly and attentive. I watched her interact with several other customers and she provided the same friendly service: young or old, Black or White. Can’t speak for all Golden Corrals, but this one has great food, great overall variety, and great service, which equals great value for the money.
dondorcars
Average
Food pretty much as expected, did find some items cool rather than hot but selection was good. desert bar a 4 but service was very slow, was in the middle of the afternoon so no excuse. customers were very sloppy.
Majority of customers are satisfied with the service they’re getting at Golden Corral. But of course not everyone had a happy experience. Just like the last review above.
Overall, I’d say the service at Golden Corral is pretty good. No one’s really going to rush you to finish your meal. You can stay for hours but you have to know about the opening hours of Golden Correl. In fact, you can probably stay the whole day if you’re generous with your server…
The Tiktoker Who Stayed for 12 Hours…
A woman from Indianapolis whose TikTok handle is @ugh_madison went to a Golden Corral restaurant with the plan of staying there all day long. Her TikTok started with a shot of the Golden Corral’s exterior, setting the scene for Madison’s quest. Her mission was to see how long it would take before the buffet gods showed her the door.
For just $12.52 (before tip), Madison dove headfirst into the buffet extravaganza. Armed with a crumpled receipt as proof, she wasted no time in narrating her adventure, complete with mouth-watering shots of her indulging in the buffet’s delights.
But the buffet staff weren’t about to let Madison conquer their kingdom without a fight. They tried sneaky tactics like refilling her drink endlessly, hoping she’d surrender to fullness. But Madison wasn’t fooled. She was on a mission, and nothing would stop her.
As the day progressed, Madison’s resolve remained unwavering. Even when the manager hinted at rearranging tables for dinner, she stayed put, lending a helping hand without missing a beat.
As the clock ticked towards 8:30 PM, Madison made the call to end her epic buffet adventure. Twelve hours had flown by since she first set foot in Golden Corral, and it was time to bid farewell.
But here’s the twist – throughout her marathon buffet session, not once did anyone ask Madison to leave. In fact, it seemed like the staff admired her dedication to getting the most out of her buffet experience.
Robot Workers at a Golden Corral Restaurant
It seems we’re not just getting service from humans but there are also robot workers at Golden Corral. Check out this article published by wsaz.com. So apparently in Beckley, West Virginia, there’s a restaurant that’s stepping into the future with two special employees – robots!
These robots aren’t just for show – they’ve got a job to do. Their main gig? Moving dishes around the restaurant with precision and grace. No need to worry about them crashing into people – they’re pros at navigating the dining area.
Tom Pape, the big boss at the restaurant, explains that these robots are like dish-delivery superheroes. They whisk dirty dishes away to the dishwashers, saving the human servers a ton of time and effort. Imagine, they even managed to dodge a horde of 200 energetic kids and still had the place sparkling clean in no time!
At first, some folks were worried that the robots might steal jobs from the hardworking staff or cut their hours. But surprise! It turns out, the robots actually boosted the hours for the dishwashers because they were so good at their job.
The servers at Golden Corral are big fans of their robot buddies. Instead of trekking back and forth all day, they can focus more on chatting with customers and making sure everyone’s having a great time.
Tipping Your Waiter at Golden Corral
Tipping at buffets can feel like navigating a maze – each place has its own rules, and it’s hard to know exactly what’s expected. Some places, the staff might just bring you drinks, while others go above and beyond, clearing plates and making sure you’re well taken care of.
Plus, sometimes those tips you leave aren’t just for the server – they might be shared with the folks running around behind the scenes, keeping the buffet stocked and tables tidy.
So, how much should you tip? The general rule of thumb is around 10 percent. But hey, if you’re doing a lot of the legwork yourself, like refilling your own drinks, you could adjust that a bit. Just remember, there’s more going on than meets the eye – those servers are hustling behind the scenes too.
Now, in regular restaurants, the tipping rate tends to be higher, usually between 15 to 20 percent. But at buffets like Golden Corral, where you’re doing a bit more self-service, 10 percent is usually more fitting.
At places where you pay upfront, like Golden Corral, you’ve got a choice – either leave your tip when you pay or leave it on the table when you’re finished chowing down.
And if you’re not into percentage tipping, you can always leave a few bucks per server as a fixed amount. I mean, what’s 10% of $16.99 right? If you could tip more, you should. The important thing is to show your appreciation for the hard work they’re putting in to make sure you have a great dining experience.