Denny’s, the self-proclaimed “America’s diner,” is nearing its goal of closing 150 locations by the end of 2025. So far, Florida seems to have lost nearly 20 of them.
The restaurant chain announced last year it would be closing underperforming restaurants. In February, the company said it had shut down 88 locations in 2024 and planned to shutter another 70 to 90 by the end of this year.
Newsweek reported more locations closed in California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas.
In 2024, the company announced plans to upgrade older stores in a renovation program called Diner 2.0, require all stores to return to pre-pandemic hours of staying open 24/7, and reduce its menu from 97 to 46 items, according to reports.
However, in November Denny’s announced it had entered into a $620 million agreement to be sold to TGI Fridays-owner TriArtisan Capital Advisors, investment firm Treville Capital Group and Yadav Enterprises, which owns and operates about 550 restaurants across the country, so future plans may change.
Here’s what to know.
Which Denny’s in Florida have closed?
Denny’s has not released a list of locations that have closed or will be closing. But in a comparison of the current location list to an archived one from early 2024, the following locations have been shuttered:
At least one new Denny’s opened this year, a location in Naples in May.
Why is Denny’s closing restaurants?
Among the restaurants closing are older locations that are too old to remodel or are based in unprofitable locations, according to Denny’s Executive Vice President and Chief Global Development Officer Stephen Dunn.
“Some of these restaurants can be very old. So when you think of a 70-year-old plus brand, you have a lot of restaurants that have been out there for a very long time,” Dunn told investors at the 2024 meeting.
Where can I find a Denny’s near me?
As of Dec. 9, there are 107 locations listed on the company website in 74 Florida cities, part of 1,272 locations across the country. Florida has the 3rd most locations behind California (347) and Texas (185).
You can find one near you at locations.dennys.com/FL.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Is Denny’s closing in Florida? What we know, which ones are gone
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
