Golden Corral To Close Homeward Kitchen in Favor of Fast-Casual Golden Corral Favorites

Diners who frequent Golden Corral may have been familiar with its prototype spinoff Homeward Kitchen, but that experiment is now reported to have been short-lived, according to Restaurant Business.

Originally opened in Southern Pines, North Carolina, toward the end of 2023, Homeward Kitchen served up a strikingly similar arrangement of food as its parent — meatloaf sandwiches, fried chicken, pot roast, and an assortment of homestyle sides. Golden Corral indicated that the Homeward Kitchen concept was expected to bring in about $3 million annually, and that approximately 20 franchisees were interest in expanding the brand. That concept appears to have been nixed, however, as Golden Corral Favorites is set to replace — and expand upon — the prototype modeled by Homeward Kitchen.

Now that Homeward Kitchen’s single location has closed, as of Feb. 24, it appears that the company is pivoting in a move that leans harder on the brand’s established identity.

“Golden Corral has always been about delivering an unmatched variety of high-quality food at an incredible value, and through the rebranding of this concept, we’re staying laser-focused on what we do best,” said CEO Lance Trenary via press release.

“We’ve learned just how much our guests love the Golden Corral brand and want the wholesome food that we serve, so we’re bringing those favorites to a fast-casual setting. This new concept leverages the brand equity in the Golden Corral name and blends the best of both worlds — offering our signature comfort foods they crave with the convenience today’s consumers expect,” Trenary added.

According to Restaurant Dive, workers were informed of Homeward Kitchen’s closure in January, and the company hopes to retain existing staff, offering compensation as well as additional training to meet expectations common to Golden Corral Favorites. A return-to-work bonus is also in the cards for affected employees, per Restaurant Business. The restaurant is expected to reopen as the new concept in April.

Golden Corral Favorites To Feature a Drive-Thru, Mobile Ordering, and a Modest Dining Room

Golden Corral is following in the footsteps of other full-service restaurants in this pivot to a fast-casual spinoff, echoing efforts made by Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Hooters, P.F. Chang’s, and Red Robin. While most of those efforts met with mixed success, Golden Corral appears confident that its move into this segment will pay off.

Golden Corral Favorites will retain the signature red-and-yellow brand colors of its parent, according to the company, and locations will feature drive-thru service, mobile ordering availability, and a streamlined serving process designed to ensure quick delivery to hungry, time-sensitive customers. Restaurant Business suggested that a small dining area would also be a feature present in most locations, showing that the company isn’t leaving those who prefer a more traditional eat-in experience out in the cold.