Beloved Michigan Breakfast Chain Speeds Up Closure Plans

Just months after announcing that 150 locations would be shut down by the end of 2025, Denny's is accelerating its plan to close restaurants.

Denny's - which currently has 14 locations in Michigan - has announced that it will be closing about 30 additional restaurants.

Denny's Accelerated Timeline for Restaurant Closures

In the fall of 2024, we told you that Denny's would be closing about 50 restaurants by the end of 2024 and shuttering an additional 100 sites in 2025.

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That process has been accelerated, as the chain shuttered 88 locations last year and has plans to close between 70 and 90 locations, bringing the total closer to 180.

What Denny's Locations Are Being Shut Down?

At this time, Denny's has not released a specific list of locations that will meet their demise and we don't yet know if any Michigan locations will be on the chopping block.

The chain, however, did say that locations are being chosen because they have expiring leases or because they're in facilities that are more than 30 years old - making them too expensive to update and remodel. Other locations that have become unprofitable may also be in danger of closing.

Why is Denny's Speeding Up Its Plans for Closure?

Robert Vetostek is Denny's Chief Financial Officer. He tells CNN that closing select restaurants in order to improve franchise cash flow is crucial to the chain's survival.

"In any mature brand, when restaurants have been open that long, it is natural that trade areas can shift over time," Verostek said. "Accelerating the closure of lower-volume restaurants will improve franchisee cash flow and allow them to reinvest into traffic-driving initiatives like our tested and proven remodel program."