SPARTANBURG, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2012--
Denny’s Corporation (NASDAQ: DENN), franchisor and operator of one of
America's largest full-service restaurant chains, today issued the
following statement on behalf of
John Miller, Chief Executive Officer of
Denny’s:
Comments from an owner of multiple franchises including Denny’s
regarding his plans to offset the expected costs associated with the
Affordable Care Act received considerable media attention in the last 24
hours. While we respect the decision of an independent business owner to
speak out on this or other topics and express their personal views, his
statements do not capture the respect by Denny’s, the Denny’s Franchisee
Association or our franchise community at large for our hardworking
employees or for our valued customers.
Unfortunately, the comments of this franchisee, who represents less than
1% of our system and who owns restaurants in other concepts, has been
portrayed as reflective of the entire Denny’s Brand. I am confident his
perspective is not shared by the company or hundreds of
franchisees/small business owners who make up the majority of the
Denny's community. Specifically, his comments suggesting that guests
might reduce the customary tip provided to their server as an offset to
his proposed surcharge are inconsistent with our values and approach to
business throughout our Brand. Our restaurant team members work
tirelessly day in and day out to create a pleasant dining experience for
our guests and we believe they should be rewarded for providing the good
service we are known for rather than penalized due to legislation. He
has since revised his earlier position.
Denny's franchisee-owned and company restaurants are a vital part of
their communities, providing jobs for local residents and a gathering
place where our guests can come together to enjoy America’s Diner.
Collectively we will continue to monitor the developments of the
Affordable Care Act and any other legislation that may impact our team
members, franchisees, employees and guests and will do the right thing
as individuals, as a company and as a Brand.
Denny’s prides itself on being an exemplary corporate citizen working to
do right by our franchisees, our guests who support our brand and our
employees who are on the frontlines in our restaurants every day.
Denny’s Guiding Principle, “Embrace Openness”, has led to an
extraordinary 63% Minority Franchised System with company restaurant
management exceeding 44% minority representation. We have been named a
top 10 franchisor by Entrepreneur Magazine for the past several years,
finishing first in family dining in 2012, and we take that honor
seriously. Denny’s continuously looks for ways to support our local
communities as well through many national and local programs such as
hunger relief through the “Dine Out for No Kid Hungry” campaigns; the
LULAC National Scholarship Fund; support for the Tom Joyner Foundation
Scholarship programs and Habitat for Humanity to name a few.
About Denny’s
Denny's (NASDAQ: DENN) is the franchisor and operator of one of
America's largest full-service restaurant chains, based on number of
units. As of September 26, 2012, Denny’s had 1,687 franchised, licensed,
and company-owned restaurants across the United States, Canada, Costa
Rica, Mexico, Honduras, Guam, Curaçao, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
and New Zealand. For further information on Denny's, including news
releases, please visit the Denny's website at www.dennys.com.
Source: Denny’s Corporation
For Denny’s Corporation
Liz Brady DiTrapano, 646-277-1226
lbrady@icrinc.com