AN ICONIC chain is giving customers a tasty buy one, get one for $1 deal — just as it prepares to shut nearly 180 of its restaurants.
Denny’s, the much-loved American diner chain, has announced the offer on its popular Grand Slam and All-American Slam breakfasts in an effort to revive slumping sales.
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The deal, which began on March 24, runs until May 9 and is available to all dine-in customers at participating locations.
According to the Daily Mail, Denny’s suffered a 3 per cent drop in same-store sales in the first quarter of 2025 — its worst performance in four years, as many customers pulled back on spending.
Despite the financial hit, the BOGO deal has worked wonders.
In April, nearly 70 per cent of diners snapped up the promotion, and even now around 4 to 5 per cent of customers are still ordering it, boosting restaurant traffic.
CEO Kelli Valade said the deal was crucial to customers during tough times.
“We’ve been very pleased with this promotion and know that it’s critical to our guests that really need compelling value offers during this time of uncertainty,” she said.
Alongside the BOGO offer, Denny’s has seen strong demand for its $2, $4, $6, $8 value menu, which returned last summer after a four-year break.
But not all customers are smiling and many have been frustrated by the addition of surcharges on egg-based dishes.
Denny’s made the move shortly after rival Waffle House added a similar charge, as both chains battle rising egg prices due to a deadly bird flu outbreak.
The first quarter wasn’t all bad news for Denny’s.
The chain reported $111.6 million in operating revenue, slightly up from the previous quarter.
It also remodelled six restaurants, including five company-owned sites, and saw sales growth at its sister brand, Keke’s Breakfast Café.
Denny’s, which is currently carrying $276 million in debt, hopes that closing 178 underperforming locations will improve franchisee cash flow and allow for investment in traffic-boosting promotions.
Looking ahead, the diner expects same-store sales this year to range between negative 2 per cent and positive 1 per cent, but with the popular BOGO deal in play, there’s hope the chain can turn things around.
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