Denny's Plans 500 Restaurant Upgrades in 24-Month Turnaround as AI Push Targets Customer Return
Updated
Updated · Fox Business · Sep 29
Denny's Plans 500 Restaurant Upgrades in 24-Month Turnaround as AI Push Targets Customer Return
2 articles · Updated · Fox Business · Sep 29
Summary
Roughly 500 Denny's restaurants are slated for asset upgrades over the next 12 to 18 months, the centerpiece of CEO Christopher Bode's new "Project Grand Slam" turnaround plan.
The 24-month strategy aims to win back diners by pairing facility modernization with AI tools that track customer behavior, improve labor scheduling and food forecasting, and tailor menu prices by local market.
More than 200 remodels have already been completed since the pandemic, while Denny's is also rolling out new point-of-sale systems, table-side tablets and an upgraded mobile app.
More than 1,000 restaurants have joined ezCater through a national partnership, giving Denny's another growth channel as it expands catering beyond in-store traffic.
The investment push comes as higher living costs make diners more selective, pushing chains to compete on experience and convenience as well as price.