How Many Ponderosa Steakhouses Are Left In The US?

When Ponderosa Steakhouse first opened to the public in 1965, the goal was to build a platform based around value-centric concepts and family accessibility; however, a lot has changed since then. The chain's Instagram bio remains emblazoned with the promise: "Home to great food & great value. Experience the Old West in our grilled steaks & something-for-everyone buffet," but it's no secret that the restaurant industry is an ever-changing, wickedly competitive beast with gnashing teeth that care little for the taste of vibrant magenta-hued pickled hard-boiled eggs or mac and cheese that could move any kids-menu-orderer (or adult foodie) to lush, golden rapture. It's unclear why, exactly, the Last Frontier of the great American Family-Style Buffet has taken such a hit, but surely the pandemic of 2020 didn't do self-serve communal serving-style buffets any favors, as several chains ceased operations as a result.

Either way, the U.S. was home to more than 700 Ponderosa locations during the 1990s. Now, according to the official Ponderosa website, only 21 Ponderosa Steakhouse locations remain in the U.S., three of which are temporarily closed. That leaves 18 remaining Ponderosas with open doors and heavily concentrated in the Midwest: Five in Michigan, four in Pennsylvania, three in Ohio, and one each in Minnesota, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Virginia (the Virginia location has online ordering).

At the Ponderosa Steakhouse in Butler County, Pennsylvania, customers take selfies in the restaurant parking lot and champion its "still open" status like diehard fans of an underperforming sports team (fellow Cleveland Brownies, rise up). As 40-year Ponderosa server Denise Morin, 58, told local news outlet TribLive earlier this year in April, "They drive here from Erie, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. It's a dining destination for them." Fellow server Kaitlyn Pastorius, 26, echoed the sentiment, sharing, "It's crazy how people drive hours to dine here, the loyalty. I feel like people feel at home here." 

In its restaurant industry forecast for 2024, Nation's Restaurant News didn't anticipate that this would be the Year of the Buffet — but it did predict that franchisees would close more units to cut low-performing stores from weighing down total company operating cost. Ponderosa is still accepting new franchisees, but it looks like growth has slowed considerably. However, value-centric concepts have been on the rise industry-wide in 2024, especially in the fast food sector with the McDonald's $5 box and Taco Bell's expanded value menu. 

As of April 2024, at the Butler location, Ponderosa's all-you-can-eat lunch buffet cost just $11.49 per person, and the most expensive thing on the menu was a 16-ounce Porterhouse steak at $26.99 — which also includes a trip to the buffet. Time will tell whether modern consumers shift back toward buffets as a high-value dining option.