Our story
In 1971, James Maynard returned to his hometown and raised funds from friends and local businessmen to form IMC with the modest goal of opening a family-oriented restaurant. James and co-founder Bill Carl opened the first restaurant in 1973 with a simple belief that business was all about creating meaningful employment and serving others. Despite their inexperience, the two men quickly learned how to succeed in the restaurant business. Their one-location enterprise, Golden Corral, grew into one of America’s leading family dining restaurant concepts.
During IMC’s first few decades, James and Bill focused primarily on growing Golden Corral. In the early 1990s, the brand shifted toward a larger format buffet concept and adopted franchising as its new model for growth. Today, Golden Corral is more than 95 percent franchised, with owner-operators consistently producing better results for guests over the years.
As IMC began to expand, new partnerships formed with companies beyond the restaurant industry, including the automotive aftermarket, food and beverage, health care, and building materials and lumber industry sectors. Currently, IMC is home to seven partner companies in diverse industries across the country — all connected by a shared set of principles. Our growth continues to be funded entirely by the success of our partner companies, as it has been for the past 50 years.
After leading various teams within IMC, Quinton Maynard succeeded his father as Chairman and CEO in 2016. During Quinton’s tenure, IMC further expanded by bringing Risemark, IDOC and Arcadia into the IMC family. Quinton made an indelible mark on IMC with his insatiable curiosity, sharp intellect and genuine care for the people he worked with.
Following Quinton’s passing in 2017, Stuart Frantz assumed the role of CEO and President. Stuart’s 15 years with IMC includes time as the head of an IMC partner company. He and the entire IMC team remain deeply committed to doing the right thing, and maintaining the legacy and values established in the company’s first five decades.
