15 Denny’s Restaurants Closing Down Amid Pandemic

A Denny's employee in a file photograph. Fifteen franchisee locations are closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to a company-owned store. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Fifteen Denny’s restaurants are permanently closing after hundreds of locations temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are nearly 1,700 Denny’s restaurants in the United States.

The 15 restaurants are in New York state. According to filings made with the state Department of Labor, 524 workers lost their jobs because of the closings. None of the employees are represented by a union.

The reason for the closings is “unforeseeable business circumstances prompted by COVID-19.”

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The addresses are:

2890 W. Ridge Road, Rochester, NY 14626 911 Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY 14623 160 Eastern Blvd., Canandaigua, NY 14424 4240 Lakeville Rd, Geneseo, NY 14454 813 Canandaigua Rd, Geneva, NY 14564 6591 Thompson Road, Syracuse, NY 13206 201 Lawrence Road E., Syracuse, NY 13212 103 Elwood Davis Road, Syracuse, NY 13212 3414 Erie Blvd, Syracuse, NY 13214 176 Grant Ave., Auburn, NY 13021 5300 W. Genesee St., Camillus, NY 13031 7873 Brewerton Rd., Cicero, NY 13212 118 Victory Highway, Painted Post, NY 14870 950 Chemung St., Horseheads, NY 14845 1142 Arsenal Street, Watertown, NY 13212

The locations temporarily closed on March 20 because of the pandemic, according to a filing.

At that time, there were 683 employees listed.

The 15 locations are operated by Feast American Diners, which operates hundreds of Denny’s locations in addition to some Jack in the Box and Corner Bakery Cafe locations.

A Denny’s spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email: “Due to the severe financial environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our franchisee in this area has regrettably decided to close these locations.”

“Denny’s has been working with its franchise owners to assist in helping them through this crisis, but the final decision to close is in the hands of each franchise business owner and their particular circumstances,” the spokesperson said.

A human resources employee told CNY Central that disputes over leasing agreements led to some of the closures.

Three hundred and twelve locations temporarily ceased operations because of the pandemic, executives said earlier in May.

The company said it permanently closed a company-owned store in the first quarter. Eight franchisees opened in the quarter.

CEO John Miller told investors in a call on the first quarter that franchisees didn’t know whether they could rely on the Payment Protection Program, a federal loan program that’s doled out billions in loans that become forgivable if used to pay employees. Approximately 90 percent of franchisees received loans from the federal government or had applied for the loans.

Some franchisees have really good balance sheets but may have made investments recently in the restaurants.

“The liquidity played a role,” he said, adding later: “And then some are just really sleepy little areas or some are resort areas that went sleepy really fast.”