Bronx Golden Corral serving up good food – and viral videos

BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — New York City’s only Golden Corral is doing more than offering an all-you-can-eat buffet at affordable pricing. 

They’re also taking social media by storm. 

“I love working here,” 18-year-old hostess Charisma Mims told PIX11 News. “We all come together as a team, no one is beefing, and we all brainstorm ideas. I love my Golden Corral family and that’s genuine.”

Mims and her coworkers at the Bronx restaurant have garnered thousands of followers on Instagram thanks to their cleverly produced videos. British songstress Natasha Bedingfield even reposted one of their videos that featured a group of workers dancing to her top 10 hit “Unwritten.”

After spending a lot of money on commercials, they just felt they wasted too much money, so the buffet started making social media stories.

“We’ve been doing videos for a while now but they just started taking off,” said Victor Cintron. “Now, people will come in and tell me, ‘Hey I saw you on Instagram!’ No one has asked me for an autograph yet, but we’ll get there. It’s just fun working here.” 

Cintron is the second person in his family to work under the Harpaul family. His father previously worked at Sizzler. 

Narioopa Harpaul, the manager of the Bronx Golden Corral, said her family has worked in food franchises all her life. She said taking care of the employees and making sure they’re happy is management's job. 

“My father started as a dishwasher at Sizzler’s and worked his way to owning his franchise,” said Harpaul. “He taught us to respect everyone from the dishwasher to the CEO. He also taught us that happy employees work hard.” 

When Sizzler pulled out of the Northeast, the family decided to open a new business. 

They decided on franchising a Golden Corral after visiting one in upstate New York. 

Harpaul and her family opened their Golden Corral in the Bronx during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They had to come up with creative ways to keep their doors open. They put tents up in their parking lot for outdoor dining and hosted drive-bys so customers could pick up their food. 

Through all of the bumps along the way all of their employees stayed, Harpaul said.

And it’s easy to see why their employees are fed. Harpaul celebrates their birthdays with a cake, and they host movie nights and eating contests. The emphasis on a family atmosphere is evident when you walk through the doors.

The employees are friendly and happy. Social media influencers have visited the Bronx Golden Corral, rating the experience as five stars. Even a master chef will be stopping by to collaborate with their kitchen, Harpaul said. 

“I think many managers can get lost trying to take care of everything, but our job is to take care of our employees. If we take care of them, they take care of customers and love coming to work.” 

The Golden Corral is located at 2375 East Tremont Ave. in the Van Nest neighborhood of the Bronx.