Technically, Denny’s
is not new to the Franchise 500®’s Top 10, but considering that Ronald Reagan was still in the White House the last time the quaint, beloved restaurant chain made an appearance, we thought we’d celebrate the company’s return.
So what has put Denny’s back in the top — No. 10 on the Franchise 500® list–after a quarter century? Simply put, it became a franchise company. Though the chain has been franchising since 1963, it was always a corporate-heavy operation, splitting its time between operating company units and dealing with franchisees. That divided focus wasn’t satisfying franchisees or franchisors.