Golden Corral at Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, has closed permanently, ending a run that began in January 2013. The restaurant at 900 Lehigh Valley Mall closed October 16, according to October 19 reporting by The U.S. Sun.
The closing takes a large, familiar buffet out of the mall’s dining mix. The Whitehall address had been serving for more than 13 years, in a building designed to accommodate 400 diners when it opened.
Its arrival was well documented. A January 7, 2013 announcement from Lehigh Valley Mall set the opening for January 10, on the Route 22 side of the property across from Macy’s.
The ribbon cutting took place January 9, followed by public service the next morning. Lehigh Valley Press reported that the opening crowds exceeded expectations, with local officials and the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce joining the ceremony.
Lehigh Valley Press identified Hiren Patel and Manish Patel and their family as the opening owners, and recorded 212 employees at the time. Local officials and the business community marked the arrival as a substantial addition to the mall.
The site’s earlier restaurant identity was Chi-Chi’s, but Golden Corral was a new building project. The mall’s announcements described construction at the former restaurant site and parking area, with groundbreaking taking place in July 2012.
The opening menu gave buffet enthusiasts familiar reasons to pay attention: grilled-to-order sirloin, pot roast simmered for 12 hours and made-to-order breakfast omelets were among the dishes highlighted by the mall.
The original schedule included breakfast from 7:30 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as lunch and dinner service. Made-to-order omelets were part of the Whitehall restaurant’s introduction from the start.
The local opening account even caught a diner calling the food “Outstanding” as she filled her plate. It was a cheerful beginning for a buffet that would remain part of Whitehall’s dining map for more than 13 years.
For Lehigh Valley buffet enthusiasts, it is a familiar stop we’ll miss.
