The all-you-can-eat landscape in the northwest metro just got a little leaner. The Golden Corral on Grove Drive in Maple Grove has shut its doors, leaving the chain with a single Minnesota outpost in nearby Maplewood. The closure, first reported on Feb. 20, 2026, removes one of the Twin Cities’ remaining all-you-can-eat buffets. A customer-posted sign on the Maple Grove door thanked diners for roughly 10 years of patronage.
The chain’s location finder now lists the Maple Grove restaurant at 13603 Grove Drive as “Permanently Closed,” according to Golden Corral. As reported by Bring Me The News, a photo of a sign on the door, signed by franchisees Dale and Tari Maxfield, read, “This Golden Corral has permanently closed. We continue to operate the Golden Corral in Maplewood MN at 3000 White Bear Ave.” The outlet also reported that the company did not respond to a request for comment.
How Golden Corral Came To The Twin Cities
The Maple Grove restaurant opened in 2016 in a former Old Country Buffet site as part of a push by franchisee Dale Maxfield to bring Golden Corral to the Twin Cities, according to the Star Tribune. Maxfield, a former Old Country Buffet operations executive, also opened the Maplewood location later that year. At the time, industry observers said updating interiors and menu options could help buffet concepts stay viable.
Maplewood Now The Last Golden Corral In Minnesota
Golden Corral’s website lists the Maplewood restaurant at 3000 White Bear Avenue #4 as the chain’s remaining Minnesota location, per the company’s locator page at Golden Corral. The Maplewood page includes hours and a phone number for customers to confirm service before visiting. For many Twin Cities diners, Maplewood is now the closest place to get the buffet experience.
Closures Elsewhere…