NEW YORK — Competition among casual restaurant operators heated up Tuesday, as Denny’s Corp. launched free Grand Slam breakfasts in an effort to reacquaint customers with its brand and showcase its meals as value-friendly options for cash-conscious consumers.
The restaurant chain was giving away the free Grand Slams, which include pancakes, eggs, bacon strips and sausage links, to any customer visiting its restaurants on Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Denny’s has promoted the freebie heavily, with a 30-second ad that aired during the third quarter of the Super Bowl on Sunday, another 15-second ad during the post-game show and a full page ad in USA Today’s Monday editions. The company reported 14 million hits on its Web site between Sunday night and Monday morning — the site read “service unavailable” at midday Tuesday. By late afternoon Tuesday, when the site was back up, Denny’s had recorded 40 million hits since Sunday night.
With the promotion only under way a few hours, spokeswoman Cori Rice said restaurants in Miami, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles were reporting long lines and other locations said they were very busy but under control.
“From all reports, it’s going extremely well,” Rice said.
The Spartanburg, S.C.-based company ended the giveaway, as anticipated, having served up 2 million free Grand Slams. Rice said each restaurant was able to churn out about 130 Grand Slams an hour. Some restaurants even gave away vouchers to people waiting in long lines or wanting to return later, she said, though she did not know how many vouchers were given out.
Denny’s, which has more than 1,500 locations, sells more than 12.5 million Grand Slam breakfasts a year.
Chris Oakley of Oxford, Pa., said he visited the Denny’s at the Granite Run Mall outside of Aston, Pa., at 8 a.m. and waited on a line of more than 50 people for about 20 minutes before getting a counter seat.
While he visited the restaurant alone, the free breakfast was also a family affair, as Oakley said his father went to a Denny’s in Florida at 6 a.m. and his brother headed to one in Buffalo, N.Y., before going to work.
Back in Pennsylvania, Oakley said customers remained surprisingly upbeat even though they stood in a line in 32-degree weather and snow.
“It was almost like a fair atmosphere,” Oakley said.
He admitted that his reason for heading in for the Grand Slam was simple: it was free.
With consumers continuing to pull back on spending amid the recession, the breakfast market has become increasingly focused on value meals in an attempt to grab those still willing to spend but looking to get the most bang for their buck.
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