| 1953 |
Harold Butler founded Danny’s Donuts in Lakewood, Calif. First year earnings are $120,000. |
| 1954 |
First year profits lead to additional Danny’s Donut shops and menu expands to include sandwiches and other entrees. Danny’s Donuts is renamed Danny’s Coffee Shops. |
| 1959 |
The chain is renamed Denny’s Restaurants, with 20 Denny’s serving customers by year’s end. |
| 1963 |
Expansion led by an ambitious franchising program continues and 78 coffee shops are operating in seven western states by year end. |
| 1966 |
Denny’s makes its initial public offering on the American and Pacific Coast Stock Exchanges. |
| 1977 |
Denny’s introduces the Original Grand Slam® breakfast, which remains one of our best-selling menu items today. |
| 1981 |
Denny’s grows to over 1,000 restaurants. |
| 1987 |
Denny’s is purchased by TW Services, Inc., one of the largest restaurant companies in the United States. |
| 1991 |
Denny’s headquarters moves from Irvine, Calif. to Spartanburg, S.C., as its parent company, TW Services, Inc., centralizes company operating management and support groups. |
| 1993 |
TW Services, Inc. (Denny’s parent company) changes its name to Flagstar Corporation. |
| 1998 |
Flagstar Corporation (Denny’s parent company) changes its name to Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc. |
| 2000-01 |
Fortune magazine ranked Advantica/Denny’s No. 1 in its list of “America’s 50 Best Companies for Minorities” two years in a row. |
| 2002 |
Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc. (Denny’s parent company) is renamed Denny’s Corporation to reflect the one brand focus. |
| 2004 |
For the year, same-store sales for Denny’s restaurants are the best in over a decade.
Denny’s Corporation completes a successful recapitalization of the company’s balance sheet that reduces outstanding debt, extends the maturities on its obligations and lowers annual interest expense by approximately $24 million. |
| 2005 |
Denny’s common stock is relisted on The NASDAQ Stock Market under “DENN” ticker symbol as a result of the company’s sustained sales growth and continued improvements to its restaurant operations. |
| 2006 |
Black Enterprise magazine ranks Denny’s at the top of its list of “Best 40 Companies for Diversity” in July 2006.
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