Last remaining Denny’s in major US city forced to close after 25 years – and customers are getting the blame
Another iconic Denny’s restaurant has closed its doors, marking the end of the chain’s last location in a California city.
Denny’s has closed more than 70 restaurants in the past two years, including 15 this summer alone.
One of the recent closures is the fast food chain’s last location in San Francisco.
The 24-hour restaurant in the city’s Union Square neighborhood was open for 25 years until it closed on August 1 due to rising crime.
The franchisee Chris Haque told the San Francisco Gate The restaurant ‘stayed open until the last day we could.’
San Francisco has lost its last remaining Denny’s location
The 24-hour restaurant in the city’s Union Square neighborhood had been in business for 25 years
The location in crime-ridden downtown San Francisco reportedly struggled with the “dine and dash” phenomenon, where customers order, eat and then leave without paying.
“The cost of doing business is huge. There is vandalism, and people come, eat and walk away, and there is no one to stop them,” Haque told the publication.
“It’s a beautiful city, we love it. We’ve lived here for so many years,” Haque said.
But I think [city officials] should make it more business-friendly.’
According to Haque, the decline in the number of conferences and congresses also has a major impact on the sector.
Business meetings declined during the pandemic and its aftermath.
Despite improvements in recent years, numbers have not yet recovered.
“We agree with Chris Haque that Denny’s loves San Francisco and the Bay Area, and closing a restaurant is never an easy decision,” the company said of the downtown closure.
“Denny’s would like to extend our sincere thanks to our team members and local community for their love of the Denny’s brand. It has been a pleasure serving you.”
This comes as the popular chain closes restaurants in the US.
Another recent Denny’s location involved the closing of the last Denny’s in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Last month, another popular Denny’s store closed in Ashland, Ohio.
The location in crime-ridden downtown San Francisco was reportedly affected by frequent ‘dine and run’ activity (Pictured: A San Francisco Police Department vehicle drives through a homeless encampment)
San Francisco is reeling from rising crime, a depopulating city center and residents moving to safer, cheaper areas
Denny’s has closed more than 70 of its restaurants in the past two years
Robert Verostek, Denny’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, said in a call with investors earlier this year that inflation was a major factor in the closures.
He pointed out that the breakeven point for a restaurant to stay open had risen from $1 million to $1.2 million due to higher food and wage costs.
To attract customers, Denny’s, like other fast-casual stores, is competing on price.
Restaurants and fast food chains are increasingly trying to offer affordable options to attract customers who fear inflation and eat out less often.
Applebee’s has also been offering some great deals, as they too have been hit with mass closures.
In an effort to lure Americans fed up with rising fast food prices, Applebee’s launched the “Whole Lotta Burger” with fries for $9.99.
The move to compete with fast food chains is similar to that of Chilli’s, which also launched a $10.99 hamburger meal that is bigger and cheaper than the Big Mac.