Local buffet lovers are in mourning today as Golden Corral’s Coeur d’Alene doors closed permanently Tuesday night.

A sign taped to the restaurant’s glass door — a door that remained open for more than five years along U.S. 95 — informed patrons that the local franchise was closing indefinitely. Owner Larry Leavitt confirmed the restaurant would not re-open.

“Last night was our last night,” Leavitt said Wednesday morning. “We locked up for the last time last night.”

When asked how the popular restaurant could close when the parking lot was often full, Leavitt said the company had aggressive sales marks that couldn’t be hit.

“We’re a resort town,” he lamented. “In a town like ours, you have twice as many restaurants to choose from. It was just that much harder, and we couldn’t compete.”

The all-you-can-eat buffet was a popular go-to for Kootenai County families, featuring an extensive brunch-to-dinner menu that offered a wide variety of plates ranging from surf-and-turf to Chinese cuisine to American classics to Mexican food, all highlighted by a local favorite: the chocolate fountain.