Golden Corral puts six restaurants in development, including Puerto Rico
Golden Corral said on April 30, 2026 that six restaurants are currently in development across the U.S. and puerto rico, including a site in San Juan. The company said two locations are under construction and four more are in pre-construction as it keeps expanding through franchise development.
San Juan and the U.S. pipeline
The six locations are split between two stages of work. Golden Corral said construction is underway in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kissimmee, Florida, while Baytown, Texas; St. Petersburg, Florida; Spanish Fort, Alabama; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, are in pre-construction.
Lance Trenary, Golden Corral’s CEO, said, "With six locations currently in development and continued expansion in Puerto Rico, we are committed to working in lockstep with our franchisees to expand access to Golden Corral for new guests and communities".
Franchisee incentives
Golden Corral said qualified franchisees may receive reimbursement equal to 3% of year-one sales, 2% of year-two sales, and 1% of year-three sales. The company also said qualified franchisees may receive a $5,000 grand opening marketing credit and reimbursement of up to $45,000 in manager training expenses.
The brand said ideal franchise candidates should have previous restaurant operations or ownership experience and strong business acumen, and must meet its financial qualifications as an individual or through a partnership. Golden Corral said it is offering traditional ground-up builds, second-generation conversions, retail conversions, travel centers and a smaller-footprint prototype as development options.
Puerto Rico expansion
Golden Corral said it is continuing multi-unit development throughout Puerto Rico. The new pipeline follows recent momentum in Fresno, California; Port Richey, Florida; and Bowling Green, Kentucky, which the company cited as part of its broader growth across different build formats.
For franchisees, the immediate path is clear: qualify for the incentives, meet the company’s financial standards and choose a build format that fits the market. For Puerto Rico, the San Juan location shows the company is keeping the island in its development plan while it opens work on five other U.S. markets.
