San Francisco’s Sole Denny’s Bids Farewell

Clear Facts

• San Francisco’s only Denny’s restaurant, located in Union Square, has permanently ceased its operations.
• Restaurateur Chris Haque cites high operational costs, vandalism, and a decrease in conventions as key reasons for the closure.
• Denny’s, the majority of whose global outlets are franchised, confirmed the closure but refrained from commenting on the specifics.

San Francisco’s downtown district has said goodbye to its only Denny’s restaurant. Located in the bustling Union Square area, the establishment served its last patrons at the start of August.

The restaurant was managed by Chris Haque, who expressed that his franchise persevered until the last possible moment. “Operated until the last day that we could,” Haque disclosed.

This franchise had been a part of the San Francisco food scene for nearly a quarter of a century before shutting its doors. However, it struggled with issues such as dining and dashing, vandalism, and the high cost of doing business.

Haque expressed his frustration, saying, “The cost of doing business is tremendous. There’s vandalism, and people come and eat and walk away, and there’s no one to stop them.”

Further exacerbating the restaurant’s plight was the dwindling number of conventions in the city, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although recently there has been a resurgence, with the Moscone Center hosting 33 conventions this year and 34 the previous year.

Denny’s headquarters confirmed the closure of Haque’s San Francisco franchise but chose not to delve into the specifics of the decision. Stating that the majority of its global restaurants are also franchised, the company asserted, “We echo Chris Haque’s sentiments that Denny’s loves San Francisco and the Bay area, and closing a restaurant location is never an easy decision.”

“Denny’s offers its heartfelt thanks to the team members and the local community for their love of the Denny’s brand; it has been a pleasure serving you.”

Despite the closure of the Union Square location, Denny’s made it known that its southern San Francisco restaurant, along with 40 others in the combined San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose market, remain fully operational.

COVID-19 hit Union Square particularly hard, seeing a surge in remote work and reduced footfall. This impacted not just Denny’s, but other businesses in the area as well. In response, the city’s mayor, London Breed, has initiated plans to revitalize the area.

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