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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Denny’s Franchise

Denny’s is an American full-service diner chain founded in 1953 and known for 24/7 family dining, all-day breakfast and comfort classics such as the Grand Slam. The brand runs a sit-down, casual table-service model serving travelers, families and local regulars across a network of more than 1,600 restaurants worldwide, the large majority of them franchised.

The business is part of publicly listed Denny’s Corporation (NASDAQ: DENN), which also owns the Keke’s Breakfast Cafe brand. Franchisees operate brick-and-mortar restaurants under a 20-year agreement, typically running one or more units with on-site management teams. The model is operations-led and staffing-intensive, built around consistent menu execution, value pricing and round-the-clock service.

Denny’s positions itself as an established heritage diner brand with broad name recognition and versatile restaurant formats suited to different markets, including standalone buildings, travel plazas and non-traditional sites. Most US locations are franchisee-owned, and the company continues to refresh menus and formats to match current dining habits.

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Why buy a Denny’s Franchise?

Buying a Denny’s franchise means stepping into one of the most recognized names in American family dining, a category that has proved resilient across economic cycles thanks to value pricing and all-day appeal. The brand offers instant consumer recognition, a 24/7 revenue window few full-service concepts match, and an operating system refined over seven decades.

Ownership benefits include established purchasing co-ops, national and co-op marketing, a loyalty app, and the operational backing of a publicly listed parent. The system is built for multi-unit growth, with training investment that decreases as owners scale from one or two restaurants to five or more. An existing resale can offer an operating restaurant with trained staff, established local traffic and a known revenue history, rather than the time and cost of a new build.

Denny’s Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1953

    • Franchising Since

      1963

    • New Startup Cost

      $1,618,575 – $3,055,925

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $30,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $7,500

      $5,000 per restaurant standard; $7,500 if past remodel due date

    • Royalty Fee

      4.5–7%

      of Gross Sales weekly

    • Marketing Fee

      3%

      of Gross Sales weekly

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      1274

    • New Units Opened *

      12

    • Units Transferred *

      18

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,951,330

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Denny’s – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming owners receive structured onboarding covering 91 hours of on-the-job training and 16 hours of classroom training, supported by a 10-week management program at Denny's training centers and orientation at the brand's headquarters. Ongoing support spans field operations guidance, purchasing co-ops, intranet access and franchisee newsletters, while marketing backing covers co-op advertising, social media, SEO and the loyalty app. Training investment scales down as franchisees add restaurants. Resale buyers should confirm what transfer training and system access the franchisor provides to incoming owners and existing management.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Denny's suits operations-led owners comfortable running a staffing-intensive, round-the-clock table-service restaurant. The franchisor looks for candidates with business experience in restaurants, hospitality, retail or multi-unit operations, though direct restaurant experience is not essential given the training provided. Strong people management, a hands-on local presence and the ability to oversee several managers per unit matter most. The model rewards process-driven, growth-minded operators who value team culture and consistent guest service, and who are prepared to scale into multiple units over time.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Denny's ranks annually in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 (#156 in 2026) and also appears on its Top Global Franchises (#61 in 2025), Top Food Franchises (#54 in 2025) and Top Franchises for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (#28 in 2024) lists. The brand has earned Franchise Times Top 200 recognition and IFPG acknowledgment for growth potential, backed by a 70-plus-year heritage and strong franchisee-association participation. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific restaurant's local reviews and reputation.

  4. Industry / Market

    Denny's competes in the US full-service restaurant sector, part of a national restaurant industry the National Restaurant Association projected at roughly $1.5 trillion in sales for 2025. Family and casual dining demand is supported by value-seeking consumers, all-day breakfast trends and recovering road travel. Comfort food and round-the-clock service give the category relative resilience through economic cycles. For resale buyers, local traffic patterns, nearby competition and a restaurant's position within its market drive unit performance.

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