A few early diners wait in line to be the first at the new Golden Corral in Fresno on Monday. Photo by Ben Hensley

A long-awaited buffet opened its doors Monday just in time for the holiday season, and its Thanksgiving Holiday Feast already has customers clamoring for a spot at the table.

Golden Corral opened its doors in Fresno Monday morning after nearly a year of anticipation. The restaurant, which takes the space of a Hometown Buffet that closed its doors during the pandemic, is now open for business, with posted hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

Located at 3617 W. Shaw Ave. in Fresno, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a buffet-style setting and also offers online ordering and catering.

The restaurant arrives just in time for Golden Corral’s Holiday Feast promotion, offering Thanksgiving meals serving six to eight people, featuring selections of ham, turkey and bone-in pork roast. Orders also include a variety of sides, a dozen yeast rolls and a pie and must be placed 72 hours in advance of pickup.

The restaurant’s arrival to the Valley was first reported by the Fresno Bee in February. It is one of the most anticipated restaurant openings, reported The Bee.

Fresno was previously home to a Golden Corral in Clovis that closed in 2016. Reedley was also home to a Golden Corral restaurant which closed its doors in 1995.