Popular breakfast chain struggles to stay on the menu amid closures
Popular breakfast chain struggles to stay on the menu amid closures
Amid rising costs and ongoing closures, the breakfast chain makes an unexpected announcement fans will love.
- Fernanda Tronco
- Sep 8, 2025 7:33 PM EDT
Edited by Celine Provini
After over seven decades as American families’ favorite diner, this beloved breakfast chain seems to be shrinking. Economic uncertainty and inflation have forced it to make difficult cuts.
In October 2024, Denny’s revealed plans to permanently shut down around 150 locations, following more than 80 closures earlier in the year. By the end of 2025, the breakfast chain expects to close another 70 to 90 restaurants, approximately 10% of its total footprint.
The downsizing comes as domestic same-restaurant sales fell 1.3% in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, continuing the troubling downward trend.
However, Denny’s previously faced similar challenges.
In 2010, during the aftermath of the Great Recession, the breakfast chain introduced its popular Value Menu, which not only attracted budget-conscious consumers but also helped rescue Denny’s from suffering the same fate as other restaurant chains that were forced to file for bankruptcy.
