Denny’s, America’s Diner, Shutting Doors Across America

It really doesn’t matter where you grew up, chances are you have been to a Denny’s once or twice in your lifetime.

Denny’s, America’s diner, is shutting doors across America.

That appears to be what is happening, slowly but surely, to one of America’s famed breakfast/late-night eateries, Denny’s.

Known for their outrageous menu combos like the Grand Slam, Moons Over My Hammy and the Lumberjack Slam, Denny’s seemed to gain most of their popularity in the ’80s and ’90s.

According to Eatthis.com, the Denny’s chain got a little bit smaller in 2023, closing 57 locations because of inflation-related challenges.

These changes range from the cost of the food that they serve, to the price of rent in the locations, all the way down to the hourly rate that is expected for pay nowadays.

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Robert Verostek, Denny’s CFO, has said that traffic over the past few months has been steadily declining by 6 percent.

The 57 Denny’s that have closed their doors for good are about to have some company. Denny’s revealed that the chain is working through some additional closures “as a result of those inflationary pressures.”

On a recent Denny’s corporate call, Verostek revealed that it used to take exactly a million dollars profit, per year, to keep a Denny’s location afloat. That number has now gone up to $1.2 million.

That alone is enough to scare away potential franchisees from opening one of the shuttering chain restaurants.

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According to their earnings release for Q4 of 2023, Denny’s looks to be shutting the doors for good on another 10 to 20 of its restaurants across America.

Some people have vivid memories of hopping in the station wagon or minivan and heading to Denny’s with the family for a meal, hoping your mom and dad chose the non-smoking section so you could breathe while enjoying your food.

Could those memories soon be a thing of the past for the once-iconic national diner chain? Only time will tell if and how many more Denny’s will be gone by the end of the year, or for good, for that matter.

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today’s top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more!