Florida Golden Corral Shut Down After State Inspection - Second Closure

Photo byTodd Van Hoosear, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

After writing restaurant articles for years, I have come to believe that many Floridians embrace buffets, although some readers do express concerns with cleanliness and quality. One popular Florida buffet - a Brandon Golden Corral - was temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Golden Corral: This chain started in the 1970s in North Carolina. From those beginnings, it would grow quickly. A second location was planned within three months.

After operating for a decade as a steakhouse, it expanded to offer a buffet. Today, it has buffets with 300 menu items and there are 400 restaurants scattered throughout the United States. There are around 46 stores in Florida.

The location in question, at 815 Providence Road, has been reviewed over 7,000 times on Google reviews, where it earns 4.2 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. While many people actually complimented the food, one person did mention cleanliness. A reviewer named Luis wrote, in part:

"Do not eat here. (The) bathrooms (were) dirty and the food wasn’t good...I actually got food poisoning from this location. Also, the party that was with me also got sick from here...My first time having Golden Corral and it will be my last time...The waitress was the best part of the experience. It’s not her fault... The chicken I took...I didn’t eat. It wasn’t cooked. I’m a food protection manager, and I will report it..."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on September 24, 2024. At that time, 12 violations were noted.

Examples of basic violations were for a cutting board that was no longer cleanable, the observation of dead roaches, a floor being covered with standing water, and a soiled wall.

An intermediate violation came for a soiled can opener.

High-priority violations came because of a dish machine not sanitizing properly requiring manual sanitation, the observation of live flying insects, and the observation of live roaches.

As a result of some of the above violations, the restaurant was temporarily shut down.

At a follow-up inspection on September 24th, three violations remained, but none were considered an immediate threat to the public so the restaurant "met inspection standards" and was free to reopen.

This is not the first closure for this location. It had another closure in July of 2024.

Please note that an inspection is one moment in time and not necessarily how a restaurant conducts itself every day.