Royal Fork Restaurant Closing Permanently

The COVID-19 outbreak is forcing one of the mainstays of the Sioux Falls restaurant scene to close its doors for good.

On its website Monday (July 20), Royal Fork Buffet made the announcement that it would cease operations as of August 2.

The restaurant, in the parking lot South of the Empire Mall, had reopened its dining room in May, after closing March 19 during the initial days of the pandemic.

Royal Fork first opened in Sioux Falls in the early 1980s and was located where Olive Garden currently operates on 41st Street.

The chain got its start in Pocatello, Idaho in 1967.