Iconic Breakfast Spot With 40 In Missouri Closing 150 Stores

One of the happiest places I associate with breakfast is Denny's. Don't laugh. It's not because of Moons Over My Hammy or the Original Grand Slam Breakfast. It doesn't have anything to do with the food—I'll get to that in a minute. So it makes me sad to see they will close 150 stores by the end of 2025.

So why is Denny's one of the happiest places I associate with eating out? It's the memories.

It's when my Dad and I took my Great Aunt Margaret to lunch on a bitterly cold day in the Chicago suburbs. It's lunch across from the sports complex on a blazing hot Kansas City afternoon while on vacation with my folks. It was a 4:00 AM breakfast with my late wife Kathy when we couldn't sleep while on vacation in Dallas. It was going in and sitting in our friend Nancy's section right when she started as a waitress at the Denny's in our hometown. (Sorry about the milkshake, Nancy!)

In my mind, Denny's has always been good for a decent meal at a reasonable price. If that's the case, why are they closing 150 locations? The bottom line. IndyStar.com reports that the company wants to strengthen its bottom line after falling short of analysts' predictions.

To be more specific, IndyStar.com reports that Denny's total operating revenue was down by $2.4 million from the previous quarter of last year. As a result, company shares dropped roughly 18%, and its stock is down 50% for the fiscal year. So yeah, something's got to give.

Fox 4 reports that restaurants in the family dining category, in which Denny's competes, have lost the most customer traffic since 2020 compared to fast food and fast-casual restaurants. That said, Denny's value menu has lifted sales in its most recent quarter.

Denny's executive vice president and chief global development officer, Stephen Dunn, is quoted in the Fox 4 report as saying that the 150 restaurants the chain will close will be in older locations with lower traffic and restaurants no longer in desirable locations.

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Hours Map lists around 40 Denny's in Missouri, and the chain has not announced which locations will be closing. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see closures in Kansas City, St. Louis, and even one of the Joplin locations closing based on my observation of recent retail and restaurant closings.

Denny's isn't high culinary art. Yet, in my experience, it's a good place to park your behind with family and friends, enjoy a meal, make some memories, and have some fun without it costing an arm and a leg. That's a pretty good deal if you ask me. Keep scrolling to learn 10 Fun Facts About Denny's You May Not Know!