Denny's facts for kids
Logo since April 2, 2019
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Corporate headquarters in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, pictured in July 2012
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Trade name
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Denny's |
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Formerly
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| Industry | Restaurants Franchising |
| Genre | Diner |
| Founded | 1954 (as Danny's Donuts) in Lakewood, California, U.S. |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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1,499 (2024) |
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Key people
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Kelli Valade (CEO) |
| Revenue |  US$452 million (2024) |
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Operating income
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US$45.3 million (2024) |
 US$21.6 million (2024) |
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| Total assets | US$496 million (2024) |
| Total equity | ▲ −US$34 million (2024) |
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Number of employees
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3,800 (2024) |
Denny's is a popular American restaurant chain where you sit down and are served, like a diner. It has over 1,400 restaurants in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and other countries. It started in 1953 as a small donut stand called Danny's Donuts in Lakewood, California. Today, it's one of the biggest family restaurants in the U.S.
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About Denny's Restaurants
Denny's started letting other people open restaurants using their name in 1963. Now, most Denny's restaurants are owned by these independent business people, called franchisees. Usually, these restaurants are open 24 hours a day, every day of the week. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Denny's locations had to close for the first time ever. Some still have shorter hours now.
Denny's History
Denny's began as Danny's Donuts in 1953, founded by Richard Jezak and Harold Butler. The first shop opened in Lakewood, California. In 1956, Harold Butler changed the donut shop into a coffee shop. He renamed it Danny's Coffee Shops and made it open 24 hours a day.
Growing and Changing Names
In the 1950s, architects designed new buildings for Denny's with cool, modern roofs. These designs helped spread a style called Googie architecture across America. Many Denny's were built near highways, so they had big signs. In 1959, the name changed again to Denny's Coffee Shops. This was to avoid confusion with another restaurant. Finally, in 1961, it became simply Denny's.
The business grew quickly. By 1981, there were over 1,000 Denny's restaurants in all 50 U.S. states. In 1977, Denny's introduced the "Grand Slam" breakfast, which is still very popular. In 1994, Denny's became a big supporter of Save the Children, a charity that helps kids. On Christmas Day in 1988, almost all Denny's locations closed for the first time ever. Some restaurants didn't even have locks because they were always open!
New Headquarters and Menu Items
Denny's main offices moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1989. In 1994, Denny's started updating its restaurants with brighter colors. They even tried selling Baskin-Robbins ice cream for a short time.
Denny's is known for its breakfasts and hamburgers. In 2020, they added the Beyond Burger as a plant-based option. This was later replaced with a different veggie patty in 2023.
Denny's Around the World
Denny's opened its first restaurant in Australia in 1982. However, it closed a few years later.
Denny's Diner Style
Some Denny's restaurants are designed to look like classic 1950s diners. The first "Denny's Classic Diner" opened in Florida in 1997. Today, there are about 40 of these special diner-style locations in the United States.
Denny's Global Reach
In 2010, Denny's expanded a lot in the U.S. by opening locations inside Pilot Flying J truck stops. In 2012, Denny's opened its first airport location in the Dominican Republic. They also planned to open many restaurants in southern China, but that deal didn't happen.
In 2014, Denny's opened its first restaurant in New York City. This location was more fancy than usual and even served alcohol. It offered a very expensive "Grand Cru Slam" breakfast with fancy champagne! This location closed in 2018.
In 2017, Denny's opened its first restaurant in the United Kingdom, in Swansea. It opened on Christmas Day for people experiencing homelessness before opening to the public.
In 2022, Denny's bought another breakfast restaurant chain called Keke's Breakfast Cafe. As of late 2024, Denny's announced plans to expand Keke's across the country.
At the end of 2023, there were 1,602 Denny's restaurants worldwide. Most of these are owned by franchisees. The United States has the most Denny's, especially in California, Texas, and Florida. There are also many Denny's restaurants in Japan, which are run by a different company under a special agreement.
Restaurant Health and Safety
In 2004, a TV show called Dateline NBC looked at the health inspection records of ten popular restaurant chains. They checked for serious violations that could make customers sick. Denny's had the fewest violations, meaning they were very good at keeping their restaurants clean and safe.
Animal Welfare Efforts
Denny's is working to use only cage-free eggs by 2026. This means the chickens that lay the eggs will have more space.
The Humane Society of the United States has encouraged Denny's to improve how animals, especially pigs, are treated. They want Denny's to stop using small pens called gestation crates for pigs. Denny's had made a promise about this before, but then removed the deadline. The Humane Society is still working with Denny's to make sure they keep their promises about animal welfare.
See also
In Spanish: Denny's para niños
- List of pancake houses
