Golden Corral Slated for April

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill plans to open a company-owned restaurant in north Fayetteville in late April.

Golden Corral had been eyeing the property for a couple of years. But construction of the 10,330-SF building had been on hold while the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality checked out the 2.5-acre site, which is on the southwest corner of College Avenue and Main Street (Johnson) and was once home to a gasoline station.

Construction finally began in November, and the company is currently advertising for employees.

Telly Smith, district manager for Golden Corral, said the restaurant will employ about 110 people. It will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. The Fayetteville restaurant will not serve beer, wine or liquor.

Raleigh, N.C.-based Golden Corral had sales of $1.25 billion last year, up 7.9 percent from $1.16 billion in 2002. Sales at stores open at least a year were up 3.9 percent last year. As of Dec. 31, Golden Corral had 467 restaurants, 345 operated by franchisees.

There are currently two Golden Corral restaurants in Arkansas — in Fort Smith and North Little Rock.