Some franchised locations are still in operation.
Buffet chain Golden Corral announced the closure of its 35 corporate stores due to the impact of the coronavirus and that it has furloughed 2,290 employees.
The announcement was made during a virtual town hall meeting among corporate officials and franchise owners.
Some of the more than 450 franchised locations are still operating while others have suspended operations. Where in-restaurant dining is closed, Golden Corral is offering carryout, curbside delivery, and home delivery.
“It is truly an emotional and challenging time for our country,” Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary said during the meeting. “The realities of the current situation have forced us to make difficult decisions. We know these decisions are impacting the team members who we work shoulder to shoulder with every day.”
Furloughed positions include hourly workers, managers, field support, and company support center employees. The CEO said during the meeting that the company will help employees with food for their families.
Last week, Golden Corral announced that it will grant paid sick leave for corporate workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 and must undergo a 14-day quarantine. In addition to the benefit, the chain reported its aggressive cleaning measures such as sanitizing surfaces and changing utensils every 30 minutes, requiring employees to wash their hands every 20 minutes, and ensuring all hand sanitizer stations are stocked and operating properly.
Chains have experienced a tough week so far as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
J. Alexander’s said Tuesday that it is furloughing 3,400 employees and operating a carryout model that will only drive 10 to 20 percent of normal weekly sales.
Luby’s announced Tuesday morning that it is temporarily closing 35 restaurants and furloughing more than half of its corporate office. That’s in addition to the 39 units it closed earlier in the week. Now only 37 locations under the brand remain open. For the corporate staff that remains, salaries will be cut by 50 percent.
Craftworks Holdings, parent of Logan’s Roadhouse and Old Chicago Pizza, made a similar move Monday by furloughing most of its 18,000 employees and closing all of its restaurants after a bankruptcy sale fell through.
