Golden Corral

[tallyho8]

I have eaten at Golden Corrals in Hammond and Ryans in Baton Rouge and they have been great. I couldn't wait for them to open locations in our area. I was thrilled when they finally did but my thrill didn't last long.

My area on the West Bank of the Mississippi is well known as Cajun country and the Cajuns are known as big eaters for a reason. I believe that at least 90% of the people in our area are overweight because they love to eat and they can be a nightmare to an all-you-can-eat restaurant when they walk in the door.

Establishments around here quickly learn that they are more satisfied with quantity than quality and concentrate on making cheaper dishes to stay in business.

Our Golden Corral has now closed and Ryans probably won't last much longer now that their quality has been lowered. Practically all buffets around here are Chinese now.

I think the only way a good buffet could last around here is if they could charge people by the pound. Not by the pounds of food that you get, but by how many pounds that you weigh.

 

[dmccarty]

My understanding of the food biz is that the food is not a big expense. The big expense is labor.

Our work cafeteria has been loosing people for years. They are in a death spiral. The number of workers they serve has fallen by at least 1/3 if not 1/2. The cafe raises prices to cover expenses so people go out to eat so the cafe have less people to serve. The cafe raises prices again which stops another set of people from buying lunch and the cycle continues.

They used to have five cashiers. There are now two. The number of kitchen staff is falling fast as well. Lots of turn over in the last six months. And this was a very stable group of people who I have known for almost two decades.

I still get a monster omlette for $3. :thumbsup:

There was a Golden Corral that went out of business near work. I think it was because so many of the local companies went under that the Golden Corral lost the lunch crowd. I was shocked when I heard it went under.

Later,
Dan

 

[milkman]

I found my first Hometown Buffet in Ca. and really liked them, they finally built one close to the wife's workplace and we ate there several times. Ryan's used to be a good choice around here then it really went down hill and a lot of them closed. Golden Corral was and is great in Elizabethtown, the one on Dixie Hwy wasn't much till a couple of years ago and now is a good place to pig out. All those places put something in the food that makes my stomach hurt and I get real sleepy.:licking:
Another place that I REALLY liked in Ca. was The Golden Camel, Mongolian Barbecue. Got one in Lou. now, not quite as good as the ones in Ca. but I love the food.

 

[MossRoad]

I use to know a few guys on the USS Carl Vinson who drove over 100 miles to work each day. Lived in Mondesto Ca. They looked forword to their duty day in which they had to stay aboard for 24 hours and not drive home.

mark

That sounds like it would be tough.... drive a little bit, come of for air... drive a little bit, come up for air....

 

[MossRoad]

My wife has a cousin who is a manager of a Golden Corral. I've never eaten at his restaurant, but I'm told he is a manager who always improves business at any restaurant he manages. He lives over 50 miles from his restaurant (with his girlfriend) and drives the 1 hr+ time to the restaurant each day. He says he does mental planning on the way in for each days work and uses the drive home to unwind and calm down from any problems that may have occurred. It works for him, but I'd think a 10 minute drive both ways would simplify my life a bunch. Oh well, everyone to their own. . . .

I've known quite a few people who drove 50-60 miles or more, one way, to work and back every day, but when I had 20 miles one way, I thought that was too far.

I enjoy my 7 minute drive in to work. 11 if I stop at Mickey D's for breakfast! :licking:

 

[deepNdirt]

I enjoy my 7 minute drive in to work. 11 if I stop at Mickey D's for breakfast! :licking:

I used to travel 2 hours 1 way to work, and was 75 miles, 4 hours on road 8 hours at work when days end had put in 12 hours, had to pay crew 1 way which was 2 hours pay each day.... the kicker was that I could drive this distance in only 1 hour the other hour would be sitting in traffic, we did grab our breakfast on the way before hitting the expressway but by the time we got to the job we work 2 hours then take lunch, I did this drive for 3 months and decided I was backing up instead of going forward with my work schedule and was spending more :2cents: than I could make, so I started working for less more local, Now I have a 3 minute walk to work, ( to my shop ):thumbsup:
this is how I can chime in all times of the day taken a break every 1 hour

 

[RobertN]

I have firefighter buddies who work out of the area. They work 24 hour shifts though. And, they will shift rade so they can work a few days in a row. Then, the commute is not so bad.

I use to know a few guys on the USS Carl Vinson who drove over 100 miles to work each day. Lived in Mondesto Ca. They looked forword to their duty day in which they had to stay aboard for 24 hours and not drive home.

mark

 

[FDuce]

Ate at Golden Corral once...never again. Their food triggers instant bowel movements.

 

[Bird]

I have firefighter buddies who work out of the area. They work 24 hour shifts though.

Traditionally, in Dallas at least, firefighters worked 24 on, 48 off, so nearly all had other occupations on their days off, and some drove long distances to work.

 

[buckle97]

It works for him, but I'd think a 10 minute drive both ways would simplify my life a bunch. Oh well, everyone to their own. . . .

Says the man who drove 70 miles one-way to work for how many years?

 

[jinman]

Says the man who drove 70 miles one-way to work for how many years?

Got me!:laughing: Of course I did it because I love my place in the country and I could see my retirement day fast approaching. I also had a drive that was one hour long with only 15 or 20 minutes of heavy traffic. Most of my drive was in the country. This fellow lives in an apartment in Lewisville, Tx and drives to Benbrook, Tx every day. His whole drive is a traffic nightmare. You'd think his girlfriend would be willing to move, but she has a couple of children in Lewisville schools and they like it. Hey! It works for him just like my commute worked for me. We all have some level of justification for what we do.

 

[jayste]

Oh yes! Golden Corral-or around here we call it the Golden Feed Trough!:laughing: I'm not really an "all-you-can-eat" kind of guy because I don't eat enough to feel like I'm getting my money's worth. If it works for you though, go for it! I have to say though, it seems that the AYCE mentality seems to contribute to the "all-you-can-weigh" situation! Sorry, some folks just don't know when to say whoa!

 

[Bird]

I'm not really an "all-you-can-eat" kind of guy because I don't eat enough to feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

So you can go to the "all you can eat" place for $10 (and you don't have to eat a lot if you don't want to) or you can go to a place that only serves a little bit for $15 or $20 (or more).:laughing::laughing: I know which one I prefer.

Actually, the higher priced places do usually bring more than I need.

 

[jayste]

So you can go to the "all you can eat" place for $10 (and you don't have to eat a lot if you don't want to) or you can go to a place that only serves a little bit for $15 or $20 (or more).:laughing::laughing: I know which one I prefer.

Yes sir, you are correct. I will say I do like the variety.:thumbsup: And $10 is hard to beat for most sit down meals.

 

[Uncle Doug]

Our local Ryan's closed about 5 years ago. It was in a good location but I think the service declined so the customers declined also. The building is now an Asian buffet.

The local Golden Corral is on the busiest road in town and surounded by plenty of fast food places. This location was build about 10 years ago and seems to be doing good with the parking lot full.

In Texas eating should be a sport, it is certainly a favorite past time.

I try to avoid the all you can eat places now days. I know you don't HAVE to eat so much but I have very little will power when it comes to serve yourself food. I did the same thing when I stopped drinking. Stopped going to bars and my booze consumption went way down.

 

[deepNdirt]

Our local Ryan's closed about 5 years ago. It was in a good location but I think the service declined so the customers declined also. The building is now an Asian buffet.

same here! about 2 years ago, and from what I read quite a lot of these shut down " Ryan's" have been re-opened by Asian's, I tried it out on the Grand opening under " Grand Dragon Buffet " or some name like that...
all they served was weired cooked shrimp & fish, and mostly seafoods of sort.
I tried some soup I could not pronounce but once I had a taste of it I think the name must have been stinkysocksoup, Yuuuck! never again :thumbdown:
But my point is that the Ryan's must be either selling out to the Dragons,
or simply closing down and the Dragons are leasing the buildings, I just think its coincidence that all of Ryan's are being re-opened by Asian food restaurants,

 

[Bird]

As I said, the only Ryan's we've eaten in was Waco, TX, and that was over 8 years ago. When visiting my wife's family, I noticed one in Princeton, WV, but haven't been in it. However, their "locator" shows none in either the Waco, TX, or Princeton, WV, areas. And the last time we were in Princeton, we noticed the CiCi's Pizza place that was always so busy was also gone.

 

[RoyJackson]

Haven't tried Golden Corral yet...but I know there's one locally (with 25-30 miles). Based upon y'all's recommendations, we'll give it a try.
I'm a sucker for Cracker Barrel though...great breakfasts and one of the few places that make good hash brown potatoes.

 

[Bird]

Roy, I think the first time we ever saw a Cracker Barrel was in eastern Tennessee (Harriman, I believe) in the Fall of 1989 when we stopped there for breakfast. And then it seems they just sprung up everywhere. We have one less than 10 miles south of us and another about 10 miles north of us. And yes, they're good for any meal, but especially breakfast.

Of course, I rarely go there because I'm already overweight and can't turn down those biscuits and sawmill gravy.

 

[RoyJackson]

Of course, I rarely go there because I'm already overweight and can't turn down those biscuits and sawmill gravy.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat very little meat or egg products...mostly veggies.

Just lost the taste for meat several years ago...long before the heart attack. I'm about 5'9" and weigh about 165-170, so it's not like I'm on any kind of diet. But when I do eat a steak, or breakfast at Cracker Barrel,it's a real treat!