Golden Corral Culture | Comparably
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Competitors:Ryan'sCracker BarrelOlive GardenOld Country BuffetRed Lobster
Golden Corral
"Golden Corral offers American cuisine based breakfast, lunch and dinner." read more
EMPLOYEE
PARTICIPANTS
237
TOTAL
RATINGS
2041
Updated on: January 24, 2026

Golden Corral Company Culture

Golden Corral Culture

This score is derived from employee ratings & reviews
2.6/5
Golden Corral's Overall Culture is rated D

Top Rated Culture Dimensions

Environment
B
Professional Development
B
Office Culture
C
eNPS
D+
Executive Team
D

Golden Corral CEO

Bottom 15%Bottom 15% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
Lance Trenary Golden Corral's CEO
Lance Trenary
57 /100
See More

Diversity at Golden Corral

Bottom 15%Bottom 15% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
D

Diverse employees at Golden Corral have rated Environment, CEO Rating, and Work Culture as the highest categories they have scored

Women at Golden Corral

Bottom 15%Bottom 15% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
D

Women at Golden Corral have rated Environment, Professional Development, and Office Culture as the highest categories they have scored

Golden Corral eNPS

Net Promoter Score tracks your employees' overall score to this question: "On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend working at your company to a friend?"
Bottom 25%Bottom 25% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably

Recommend to a Friend?

-40

Golden Corral employees are -40% more likely to recommend Golden Corral as a great place to work

23%Promoters
14%Passives
63%Detractors

Working at Golden Corral

Working at Golden Corral is rated below average by 237 employees, across various culture dimensions. Golden Corral employees rate Environment highest among all categories, and think that Perks And Benefits and Meetings have the most room for improvement, putting Golden Corral’s culture in the Bottom 15% compared to similar sized companies on Comparably and in the Bottom 20% compared to other companies in Burlington, NC. See below in detail how working at Golden Corral was rated by employees.

Overall Company Culture at Golden Corral

D

Overall Company Culture at Golden Corral is rated D

Last updated 4 days ago

Bottom
15%

Golden Corral ranks in the Bottom 15% of other companies on Comparably with 201-500 Employees for Overall Company Culture Score

Overall Company Culture Score by Department

This graph details how each department scores their Overall Company Culture

Results from 237 Employees

View Results
0
20
40
60
80
100
Customer Support
65
Customer Support65
Operations
63
Operations63
Sales
61
Sales61
Product
53
Product53
Customer Success
25
Customer Success25

Golden Corral Employee Reviews

Out of 210 Golden Corral employee reviews, 65% were positive. The remaining 35% were constructive reviews with the goal of helping Golden Corral improve their work culture.

65%
35%
Positive Reviews65%
Constructive Feedback35%

Positive Reviews From Golden Corral Employees

  • What did you like most about the interview process?
    I was hired by someone who is no longer with the company. This person made it a safe place
  • What did you like most about the interview process?
    It is very good they fit you with best possible job with your skills
  • What is most positive about the culture and environment at your company?
    The customers and a few of the employees who are always positive when I see them.
Read More Positive Reviews

Constructive Feedback From Golden Corral Employees

  • What does the leadership team need to get better at?
    Communication, compassion, and general respect.
  • What needs to change to make the company culture better?
    To be honest the way to creat a better culture at our company is a different management team that treats their employees fair.
  • Why do you feel undervalued and what would make you feel better about your compensation?
    I do feel unvalued I don't get many hours I only work once or twice a week and i get my hours cut. On top of that i get stuck in a part that makes no money while everyone else is busy. Plus sending tables to other sections but my own.
Read More Constructive Reviews

Golden Corral Company Information

Golden Corral Company Overview

"Golden Corral offers American cuisine based breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Golden Corral Mission, Vision & Values

Golden Corral Mission & Values

Making pleasurable dining affordable for every guest, at every restaurant, every day. While our commitment begins each day with preparing delicious food, we also believe in providing outstanding hospitality. Being best in class is what we are all about.... and that is a direct tribute to all the men and women who work here, who strive each day to deliver a pleasurable dining experience for families across America.

Golden Corral Mission, Vision & Values
HeadquarterRaleigh, NC
United States of America
Websitegoldencorral.com/
Founding Date1973
Company StatusPrivate

Golden Corral Competitors

Golden Corral competitors include Ryan's, Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, and Old Country Buffet. Golden Corral ranks 4th in Overall Culture Score on Comparably vs its competitors. See below how Golden Corral compares to its competitors with CEO Rankings, Product & Services, NPS, Pricing, Customer Services, Overall Culture Score, eNPS, Gender and Diversity Scores.

  1. #1
    Ryan's' Logo
    Ryan's
    3.4/5
  2. #2
    Cracker Barrel's Logo
    Cracker Barrel
    3.0/5
  3. #3
    Olive Garden's Logo
    Olive Garden
    2.9/5
  4. #4
    Golden Corral's Logo
    Golden Corral
    2.6/5
  5. #5
    Old Country Buffet's Logo
    Old Country Buffet
    2.5/5
Learn More About Golden Corral Competitors
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life
Golden Corral employees generally work 8.2 hrs a day
Work Hours
A Day in the Life
Employees at Golden Corral report the work pace is extremely fast
Work Pace
A Day in the Life
70% of Golden Corral employees look forward to interacting with their team every day
Coworkers
A Day in the Life
Golden Corral employees typically get valuable feedback on how to improve at work Every Week
Feedback
A Day in the Life
51% of Golden Corral employees call their work environment negative
Environment

Golden Corral Employees

237 employees at Golden Corral have reviewed Golden Corral across various culture dimensions, providing their opinions on items ranging from executive ratings to the pace at work. The latest review was 4 days ago.

Overall, the 237 Golden Corral employees give their leadership a grade of D-, or Bottom 10% of similar size companies on Comparably. This includes specific ratings of their executive team, CEO, and manager.

Employees at Golden Corral are mostly dissatisfied with their total compensation at Golden Corral, which includes a combination of pay, stock and equity, and benefits.

Overall, employees at Golden Corral are not very pleased with their team. 237 Participants grade the quality of their coworkers a D. Less than half believe the meetings at Golden Corral are effective, and the majority look forward to interacting with their coworkers.

The majority of employees at Golden Corral believe the environment at Golden Corral is positive. Most Participants believe the pace of work at Golden Corral is extremely fast. About 80% of the employees at Golden Corral work 8 hours or less, while 9% of them have an extremely long day - longer than twelve hours.

Overall, the employees at Golden Corral are not very happy, based on their aggregated ratings of future outlook, customer perception, and their excitement going to work.

Joining Golden Corral - Employee Onboarding

The prevailing opinion from employees about joining Golden Corral is that the company was somewhat prepared on their first day. Golden Corral employees concluded that their overall onboarding experience was negative. 50% said their direct manager was helpful with their acclimation during the first 90 days. First impressions are important, and how prepared a company is on your first day leaves a lasting impression.

Golden Corral Employee Onboarding

Golden Corral KPIs and OKRs

At Golden Corral 100% of employees think their department KPIs and OKRs are clear. Employees’ understanding of Golden Corral's KPIs and OKRs is essential for its success. Out of 4 Golden Corral employees who’ve answered, “Are your company’s goals clear and are you invested in them?” 2 have said yes.

AnswerPercent
Yes50%
No50%
Are your company's goals clear, and are you invested in them?
AnswerPercent
Yes100%
No0%
Are the KPIs/OKRs for your department clear?
Golden Corral KPIs & OKRs

Golden Corral CEO & Leadership

Golden Corral CEO - Lance Trenary

Lance Trenary Golden Corral's CEO
57 /100

Golden Corral’s CEO Lance Trenary started in this role in 2015. Lance’s approval rate is lower compared to CEOs at similar sized companies, putting Lance in the Bottom 15% of all CEOs of similar-sized companies on Comparably, and in the Bottom 15% compared to CEOs of all other companies in Burlington, NC. Lance Trenary’s employees rank Golden Corral in the Top 35% for Environment, in the Top 35% for Professional Development, and in the Bottom 45% for Office Culture. Trenary is generally unpopular with Golden Corral employees, but ranks especially low with employees in the Customer Success department, and by employees in the Operations department and employees in the Product department. However, employees identified with Other ethnicities have a slightly more favorable view of the CEO. When compared to Golden Corral’s competitors, Lance Trenary ranks below both Cracker Barrel CEO Sandra Cochran and Olive Garden CEO Dan Kiernan.

Golden Corral Leadership

The Golden Corral Executive Team is rated a “D” and led by CEO Lance Trenary, Senior Vice President of Development David Conklin, and Sr. Vice President, Communications & Strategy Shelley Wolford

  • Lance Trenary CEO / President

    Lance Trenary CEO / President

    Lance Trenary serves as the CEO / President of Golden Corral.

  • David Conklin Senior Vice President of Development

    David Conklin serves as the Senior Vice President of Development of Golden Corral Corporation. David started at Golden... read more

  • Shelley Wolford Sr. Vice President, Communications & Strategy

    Shelley Wolford serves as the Sr. Vice President, Communications & Strategy of Golden Corral Corporation. Shelley... read more

  • Darryl Webb Senior Vice President of Operations

    Darryl Webb serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations of Golden Corral Corporation. Darryl started at Golden... read more

  • Tim Schroder Senior Vice President of Marketing

    Tim Schroder serves as the Senior Vice President of Marketing of Golden Corral Corporation. Tim started at Golden Corral... read more

  • Jim Laverty Sr. VP of Finance and Administration

    Jim Laverty serves as the Sr. VP of Finance and Administration of Golden Corral.

  • Bob McDevitt Senior Vice President, Franchising

    Bob McDevitt serves as the Senior Vice President, Franchising of Golden Corral Corporation. Bob started at Golden Corral... read more

  • Chappell Phillips Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

    Chappell Phillips serves as the Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of Golden Corral Corporation.... read more

  • Ann Perez Vice President of Information Technology

    Ann Perez serves as the Vice President of Information Technology of Golden Corral.

See More Executives

Explore Golden Corral Leadership Team

Golden Corral Salaries

How much does Golden Corral pay?

How much do people at Golden Corral get paid? See the latest salaries by department and job title. The average estimated annual salary, including base and bonus, at Golden Corral is $117,571, or $56 per hour, while the estimated median salary is $131,763, or $63 per hour.

At Golden Corral, the highest paid job is a General Counsel at $273,356 annually and the lowest is a CS Rep at $45,600 annually. Average Golden Corral salaries by department include: Engineering at $128,860, HR at $93,825, Design at $87,895, and Finance at $75,028. Half of Golden Corral salaries are above $131,763.

105 employees at Golden Corral rank their Compensation in the Bottom 10% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 306 ratings) while 96 employees at Golden Corral rank their Perks And Benefits in the Bottom 5% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 98 ratings).

Last updated a month ago.

1st Percentile
$73k
$73k1st Percentile
20th Percentile
$103k
$103k20th Percentile
40th Percentile
$129k
$129k40th Percentile
60th Percentile
$196k
$196k60th Percentile
80th Percentile
$269k
$269k80th Percentile
100th Percentile
$347k
$347k100th Percentile
$117,571*
Average Compensation
$131,763*
Median Compensation

* Estimated salaries Estimated salaries are based on data provided anonymously by employees and/or estimated by other statistical methods.

Golden Corral Salaries by Department

Explore Golden Corral Salaries

Diversity & Inclusion at Golden Corral

Diverse employees at Golden Corral score the company 56/100 across various culture categories, placing Golden Corral in the Bottom 15% of companies on Comparably with 201-500 Employees for Comparably's diversity score. The Diversity score provides insights into how diverse employees feel and rate their work experience at Golden Corral across various culture dimensions.

Ranked Culture the Highest

Women 71/100
Department - Customer Support
Men 78/100
Department - Operations
Diverse Employees 64/100
Department - Customer Support

Ranked Culture the Lowest

Women 23/100
Department - Customer Success
Men 54/100
Department - Customer Support
Diverse Employees 26/100
Department - Customer Success
Explore Golden Corral Diversity & Inclusion

Golden Corral Perks & Benefits

Health & Wellness

  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Health Insurance
  • Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

  • PTO / Vacation Policy
  • Paid Holidays
  • Maternity / Paternity Leave

Financial Benefits

  • 401K / Retirement Plan
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Office Perks

  • Work From Home Policy
Explore Golden Corral Perks and Benefits

Golden Corral PTO

Golden Corral's PTO and Vacation policy typically gives 10-15 days off a year. Golden Corral's benefits and PTO Package averages to represent a $1000 -$1500 cash value per month.

AnswerPercent
Flex Time0%
Vacation Policy0%
Office Meals0%
401k Contribution100%
Childcare0%
Other than healthcare, which of the following benefits is most important to you?
AnswerPercent
Yes0%
No100%
Does your boss expect you to work when you're on vacation?
AnswerPercent
$2500+/mo0%
$1500 - $2500/mo0%
$1000 -$1500/mo100%
$500 -$1000/mo0%
Less than $500/mo0%
What do you estimate the cash value of your benefits to be? Healthcare, PTO, etc?
Golden Corral PTO Policy

Golden Corral Careers

Golden Corral Jobs

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H1B Visa

In 2019, Golden Corral applied for 2 H1B visas. Of the work permits applied for, 100% were approved.

Work Permit Application Outcome

2
Total Applied
  • 100% Granted (2 out of 2)
  • 0% Denied ( out of 2)
  • 0% Withdrawn Application was withdrawn by the employer before approval/rejection ( out of 2)
  • 0% Certified-Withdrawn Application was approved but later withdrawn by employer ( out of 2)

This data was calculated using publicly sourced data from OFLC Performance Data

Let Golden Corral Know You Want To Work There

Overview of Candidates Interested in Golden Corral on Comparably

Candidates By Department

Executive
100%

Candidates By Location

Bellevue
100%

Frequently Asked Questions regarding Golden Corral

Who is the CEO of Golden Corral?

Golden Corral CEO is Lance Trenary, their score by employees is 57

What is Golden Corral eNPS?

The eNPS for Golden Corral is -40

What is the salary for Sales Manager in Golden Corral?

Sales Manager average salary in the US is 108k

What are the salaries in the Product in Golden Corral?

The average salaries for Product in Golden Corral is 138k

Who are Golden Corral competitors?

Golden Corral main competitors are Ryan's, Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Old Country Buffet

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