DENNY’S chiefs have revealed that they are in the process of closing 150 restaurants.
Execs made the decision after identifying underperforming establishments, which will shut by the end of 2025.
Around 150 Denny’s restaurants will be closing by the end of next year[/caption]
Bosses confirmed that around 75 restaurants will close by the end of the year, and the rest will close in 2025.
Chiefs announced the slew of shutdowns in light of the company’s financial headwinds.
The company has seen a dip in sales and has been impacted by restaurant inflation, which poses a challenge for diners.
But, restaurant closures are not the only change that Denny’s chiefs are set to make.
In what is set to be a major change, some Denny’s restaurants will not be open 24 hours a day.
Fans have reminisced on social media how they used to head to the restaurant for a snack after a late-night concert.
But bosses explained it didn’t make sense to keep restaurants open during hours when traffic was down, per CNN.
Chiefs are also trimming back the number of items on sale from 97 to 46.
Steve Dunn, the chain’s executive vice president, revealed that bosses were closing restaurants that were too old to be refurbished.
Bosses are culling around 10% of the total number of Denny’s restaurants in the US.
Diners have been left heartbroken by the news of the slew of restaurant closures.
“Denny’s holds a special place in my heart from my college days,” one fan said.
“Their late-night hours made it the go-to spot for post-concert gatherings and midnight cravings.”
Diners also said they loved heading to the restaurant early in the morning.
Restaurant closures in 2024
BOSSES at major dining chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of the chain’s affected.
- Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed.
- Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops in April, including some in the state of California.
- Frisch’s Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky in April.
- Outback Steakhouse: The chain will shutter 41 ‘underperforming’ locations this year.
- Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio closed in April.
- Chili’s: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently as well as one in Irvine, California, and one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Friendly’s: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close.
- Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March, followed by four in Ohio in June and 15 in Indiana. This was followed in July by a bankruptcy filing from its parent company which announced the closure of 150 locations.
- Carl’s Jr.: The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
- In-N-Out: An Oakland location closed earlier in the year due to crime in the area.
- Cheesecake Factory: The chain is set to shutter a location in Memphis, Tennessee in July.
- Applebee’s: Announced the closure of between 25 and 35 locations this year.
- Red Lobster: The seafood chain filed for bankruptcy in May and shuttered over 100 locations.
- Taco John’s: Shuttered a restaurant in Minnesota and put the building up for sale in May.
- Frisco’s Chicken: The poultry restaurant shuttered all of its locations over the summer
- Rubio’s Coastal Grill: Has announced the closure of 48 locations in California after filing for bankruptcy.
- Burger King: Shuttered a location in California in June after 30 years.
- Foster’s Freeze: Shuttered a location in California after five decades in business due to financial struggles.
- Chicken Salad Chick: After nine years the restaurant shuttered one location in Jacksonville, Florida, with no reason given.
- México Lindo: The New York City-based restaurant announced its final day after 52 years and finally shuttered its doors for good on July 31.
- American Dream Pizza: Closed all of its locations in Oregon in July.
- Tender Greens: The Southern California-based chain filed for bankruptcy.
- Lefty’s Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, & Grill: Abruptly shuttered 18 locations in July due to a family feud.
- Firehouse Subs: Shuttered a location in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State over the summer citing “unforeseen circumstances”
- Taco Time: The Taco Bell rival shuttered a location in Seattle after 50 years following a death in the franchise owner’s family.
- Burgerim: Shuttered a location in Burlington, Massachusetts in July, reigniting bankruptcy fears from 2020.
- Denny’s: The chain has shuttered over 40 locations so far this year with the owner of the one outlet blaming vandalism.
- Starbucks: The chain shuttered one of its most iconic locations in New York City after almost three decades with fans blaming crime. It also lost a location in Seattle.
- Subway: In August, the sandwich chain shuttered over 20 locations across the US and Canada after a franchisee lost money after being a victim of fraud.
- IHOP: A restaurant in New Hampshire shut its doors after 24 years, leaving four locations in the state.
- Switchback Coffee Roasters: The popular chain filed for bankruptcy in August after over a decade in business.
- Jimmy John’s: The sandwich shop chain shuttered a location in Nevada on August 19 after 12 years citing overexpansion issues.
- KFC: Closed the remaining three locations in Rockford, Illinois all on the same day on August 19. In total, it closed six locations across four cities in Illinois.
- Rusty Bucket: The chicken shop chain confirmed it would officially leave Florida as it announced a handful of closures including in Sarasota and Ohio.
- Buca di Beppo: The Olive Garden rival abruptly shuttered 44 locations across five states before filing for bankruptcy.
- Red Robin: Announced the closure of its Ashburn, Virginia location on August 25 after 15 years in business.
- Noodles & Company: Shuttered dozens of locations due to their contribution to around $2 million worth of losses.
- Shoney’s: The classic American-style food chain founded in 1947 officially exited Ohio after three decades of business as it reduced its operational footprint.
- Homegrown: The sandwich chain based in Seattle announced the closure of 10 locations leaving 150 employees in the lurch.
- World of Beer: Filed for bankruptcy after closing 14 outlets.
- Arby’s: The chain announced a number of closures this year including in Lexington, Kentucky, Akron, Ohio,
- Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Shuttered a location in New Jersey in July, leaving just two in the state, followed by the closure of a Baltimore location in August.
- Hart House: Shutterd all four locations in California in September just two years after the vegan fast-food restaurant chain was launched by actor and comedian Kevin Hart.
“Not many options at 3:00 in the morning. The Grand Slam is a winner,” another fan said.
The restaurant chain even attracted an international fanbase.
“Oh, what a shame,” a third diner lamented.
“I love Denny’s and love to go there when I’m in the States.”
Earlier this year, The U.S. Sun reported how Denny’s chiefs pulled the plug on around 15 locations.
The shutdowns came after bosses closed more than 50 last year.
Not all the closures were due to financial underperformance, however.
In August, the chain’s final San Francisco closed its doors, and its franchise owner blamed the impact of crime.
Chris Haque told SF GATE the cost of doing business was “tremendous.”
“There’s vandalism, and people come and eat and walk away, and there’s no one to stop them,” he lamented.
Despite the closures, Denny’s chiefs seemed optimistic about the path forward.
Kelli Valade, the chain’s CEO, revealed the budget-friendly value menu, which could see diners get favorite treats for less than $10, would be re-launched.
But, Denny’s is not the only chain that has seen restaurant and store closures.
Execs of the chain Shari’s Cafe and Pies seem to have left the state of Oregon after closing more than a dozen restaurants.
In recent years, Shari’s financial struggles have been well documented as the chain has faced unpaid tax bills, and restaurants have been slapped with eviction notices.
And, a Buca di Beppo restaurant in Indianapolis has also gone to the wall.
A note left on the door thanked customers for their loyalty.
The restaurant had been a constant in the city for over two decades after opening in 1999.
It isn’t just restaurant chains that have seen closures.
Major retailers such as 7-Eleven are also in the process of shutting down hundreds of locations.
Liquidation sales were being held at Stop and Shop, and Winn-Dixie outlets that were closing down.
