Dive Brief:
- Denny’s has launched a national catering program through a partnership with ezCater, the company said in an emailed press release.
- About 400 locations are already offering corporate catering and the chain expects to roll out the offering to 1,000 restaurants by the end of September.
- Catering is the first major initiative to go live under Project Grand Slam, a growth roadmap focused on improving restaurant performance and the guest experience while creating long-term, sustainable growth.
Dive Insight:
The catering channel will not only fulfill ongoing demand from workplaces, but it will also provide a new sales opportunity for franchisees, the company said.
“Catering has the potential to become a meaningful growth business for Denny’s and its franchisees,” said Garren Grieve, CEO of Seaside Dining Group, a multi-unit Denny's franchisee. “It gives our restaurants access to new customers, valuable weekday occasions and recurring business beyond our dining rooms. We have experienced firsthand the strength of what Denny’s has built, and the early response exceeded our expectations. The opportunity is real.”
Guests can order directly on Dennys.com to purchase meals for offices, boardrooms, schools, healthcare organizations, community gatherings, celebrations and other events where people gather, the company said.
Denny’s also partnered with ezCater to create a catering menu that works well for group occasions. The menu includes options such as the Grand Slam Buffet Bundle, Grand Slamwiches, Build-Your-Own Burger Bars and Chicken Wings. Guests can also order individually packaged meals, like a Grand Slam Breakfast Box and Chicken Bacon Sandwich Box.
“Breakfast is the most used search filter on ezCater, making Denny’s a sure favorite for workplace orderers nationwide,” Cindy Klein Roche, chief growth officer at ezCater, said in a statement.
Denny’s is a few months into its 24-month turnaround strategy that launched in April alongside the appointment of Christopher Bode as CEO, who had previously served as president and chief operating officer. Some of the elements of that strategy include menu innovation, digital transformation and a commitment to operational excellence.
Denny’s went private early this year in a $620 million sale to Denny’s franchisee Yadav Enterprises, TriArtisan Capital Advisors and Treville Capital Group. The chain had been struggling for several quarters with same-store sales declines and had to close hundreds of underperforming locations.
