Denny's Closes Five Additional Locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Denny’s has closed five more locations, four in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. The closures are attributed to franchisee M15 Inc., which cited unsustainable debt and plans for Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. These recent closures follow over 150 restaurant shutdowns by Denny's since 2024 as part of a strategy to improve performance across its portfolio, aiming to increase average unit volumes from $1.9 million to $2.2 million per store. In January 2026, the company was acquired for $620 million by private equity firms TriArtisan Capital Advisors and Treville Capital Group along with franchisee Yadav Enterprises. Denny’s is currently led by CEO Christopher Bode following Kelli Vallade's resignation in April. The new leadership is implementing a turnaround plan called Project Grand Slam, which includes modernizing the brand and introducing initiatives like its first national catering program to boost sales.
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