Denny's Selects Community Improvement Start-Up as Contest Winner

SPARTANBURG, S.C., January 10, 2024 /GlobeNewswire/ -- The search for the next BIG idea born in a Denny’s booth is complete, as Denny’s (NASDAQ: DENN) announces the winner of its Trillion-Dollar Incubator Contest. Walter Arnett was selected as the contest champion and recipient of the $25,000 grand prize for his community-driven idea “Dad Mob”. After besting thousands of innovators and creative thinkers nationwide with his concept, Arnett can now turn his dream into a reality.

Walter Arnett, a Lexington, Kentucky native, drew inspiration for the Dad Mob community platform from his extensive work with the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Arnett formed the jersey-clad coalition to mobilize dads for charity and volunteer work. The project provides busy fathers with opportunities for socializing and giving back, and Arnett plans to expand to multiple states, with Denny’s serving as the official meeting place.  

“I wanted to create a platform that enables people to give back in a fun and engaging way while building camaraderie and helping others,” said Arnett. “The more fun an event is, the greater the turnout. Bringing a tailgate atmosphere entices dads to get out of their man caves and build community while doing meaningful work.” 

Inspired by NVIDIA, the trillion-dollar tech company that got its start at a Denny’s in San Jose, California, Denny’s invited diners to submit their original idea born in a Denny’s booth. America stepped up to the challenge and delivered novel ideas: an Original Grand Slam flavored gum, a Denny’s-inspired book on friendship, and an AI video editing platform.  

Judged on creativity, originality, innovation, and visual quality of submission, Arnett ultimately won the favor of America and contest judges Kelli Valade, Denny’s president and chief executive officer and Jensen Huang, president and chief executive officer of NVIDIA, to take home the grand prize. Semi-finalists and finalists of the Trillion-Dollar Incubator Contest walk away as winners too, as they will receive gift cards valued at $100 and $500, respectively.  

“At Denny’s, our passion is feeding and nourishing our communities. For 70 years, our booths have served as a place to create big ideas, fed by great service and delicious food,” said Valade. “The submissions to our Trillion-Dollar Incubator Contest exemplify the power of giving others a chance to progress their purpose. Initiatives like Walter’s Dad Mob community coalition embody the spirit of nourishing communities, just like Denny’s does.” 

For more information about Denny’s, please visit www.dennys.com. 

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About Denny's Corp   

Denny's is a Spartanburg, S.C.-based family dining restaurant celebrating its 70th anniversary year and founding purpose: We love to feed people. That purpose has led us to become a restaurant brand that guests worldwide rely on for delicious value and craveable contemporary meals across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night. Every day, we welcome guests to dine whenever and however they prefer, whether it is at our brick-and-mortar locations, via Denny's on Demand – the first delivery platform in the family dining segment, or at The Meltdown and The Burger Den, our two virtual restaurants. Our longstanding commitment to supporting our local communities is brought to life with our Mobile Relief Diner that delivers hot meals to our neighbors during times of disaster. 

Denny's is one of the largest franchised full-service restaurant brands in the world, based on the number of restaurants. As of March 29, 2023, Denny's had 1,594 franchised, licensed and company restaurants, which includes 161 restaurants in Canada, Costa Rica, Curacao, ElSalvador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. 

To learn more about Denny's, please visit our brand website at www.dennys.com or the brand's social channels via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn or YouTube. 

SOURCE Denny’s