1953
2010
1953
Harold Butler founds the first Denny’s in Lakewood, California, under the name Danny’s Donuts.
1954
Butler opens additional Danny’s Donut shops and expands the menu to include sandwiches and other entrees.
1959
Now a 20-restaurant chain, Danny’s Donuts name is changed to Denny’s.
1966
Denny’s makes its initial public offering on the American and Pacific Coast Stock Exchanges.
1977
Denny’s introduces the Grand Slam Breakfast in Atlanta as a nod to Hank Aaron. It went on to become Denny’s most famous, and still-popular, breakfast.
1981
Denny’s continues to grow, now with over 1,000 restaurants across the country.
1991
Denny’s headquarters moves from Irvine, California, to Spartanburg, South Carolina.
1994
Denny’s becomes the largest corporate sponsor of the national charity Save the Children.
2002
Denny’s parent company, Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc., is renamed Denny’s Corporation to reflect the one brand focus.
2005
Denny’s common stock is relisted on The NASDAQ Stock Market under a “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.
2007
Denny’s ends the year with system wide sales of $2.4B and $1.72M average unit sales for company-operated restaurants.
2009
Denny’s remains the largest family-service restaurant in America, with 21,000 employees and 1,546 restaurants.