Of all the places in Britain for a major US restaurant chain to make its debut, Swansea probably isn’t the first place you’d think of. But it was the city of choice for all-day breakfast spot Denny’s Diners, which opened its first UK branch there eight years ago.
It’s what’s known as proof-of-concept restaurant, set up to find out just how well Denny’s could do this side of the Atlantic. The Swansea Denny’s serves more than 13,500 dine-in orders each year and has generated ‘strong margins’. Now, thanks to its success, the chain has plans to expand across the UK.
The diner chain began life as a donut stand in Lakewood, California in 1953 and grew to become one of the largest full-service family restaurant chains in the US. On Denny’s mammoth, classically American menu, you’ll find the ‘French Toast Slam’ with french toast, sausage, hash brown and bacon; chicken and waffles; an ‘Empire Stack’ of eight buttermilk pancakes with whipped butter and about a dozen different kinds of hot dogs and burgers.
The chain’s current UK franchise holder has joined forces with FRP Corporate Finance to look at potential partners to acquire the rights of the restaurant brand on British soil.
Alex Patey, director at FRP, said: ‘The Swansea diner has already demonstrated the household brand’s potential in the UK, and with clear opportunities across high streets, airports, service stations and drive-thru sites – as well as to introduce new models including self-service – we expect strong interest from ambitious operators looking to bring the Denny’s experience to more UK consumers in a segment where this type of offering has been lacking for many years.’
There’s no news on when to expect these new Denny’s or where they might pop up, but watch the space.
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