I have been a Denny's fan for as long as I can remember. When I was a wee lad, my grandfather would take me there for breakfast. As I grew older, I quickly realized the benefit of a place where you can get semi-decent coffee and an omelet any time of the day or night. Sure, all the food tastes the same and it always leave a thick layer of grease on your plate, but where else can you get a Moons Over My Hammy? Before long, I was a regular customer at my local Denny's establishments. During my first year of college, I was fortunate enough to actually work as a graveyard-shift waiter at Denny's. Now I just eat there. What follows are notes of the various components of the project, followed by explanations of the different areas of the site.
- My goal is to visit as many Denny's as possible before I die.
- The now-infamous Das Büs. Aside from the fact that I just love Denny's, the biggest influence in formulating this quest is that I was in the process of purchasing a school bus in February of 1996, in which I was planning on traveling across the country. I figured what better way to highlight my travels than to visit as many of my favorite dining establishments as possible. Unfortunately, when I moved to Arizona, the bus stayed in Ohio. It's currently in storage, as I can't afford to transport it here. Some day, though... some day.... So, presently, most Denny's will be visited in Der Satürn.
- Whenever I pass a new Denny's, I always stop in. So as to have something by which to remember each Denny's, I try to get free stuff from each stop to add to my ever-growing collection of useless Denny's junk. Usually the wait-person is so relieved to have someone friendly to talk to for a change, s/he will just give me something, tho it also depends on the time of day and how busy the restaurant is. If, even after a lot of schmoozing, I just can't get them to give me anything, I steal.. er.. "borrow" something.
- Wally Pleasant, a guitar-playin' folk-like singer from East Lansing, Michigan, once sang a song about Denny's. In it, he said that he noticed that a lot of Denny's managers look like "Weird Al" Yankovic (WAY). As St. Al of Yankovic is one of my heroes, and as Denny's is one of my Meccas, I instantly had vast amounts of respect for Mr. Pleasant. However, I tend to not believe something until I see it. So, in addition to getting free stuff, I also check to see if they have a tall scrawny guy with a dark mustache, sliver rimmed glasses, and big curly black hair works for them. I'm a bit lenient on the specifics, since Al himself is constantly changing his appearance, but there has to at least be a strong resemblance overall, if not physical, then in attitude.
- For me, the results of the project are a pudgier mid-section, a greasier complexion, and a higher cholesterol count. But for you, the heart of the project are the reviews. For each entry, I take photos, log the pertinent information (who served us, what we ate, etc.), and write up some comments on the Denny's in question, my thoughts on that day, or whatever strikes my fancy. The most logical (and my preferred) way of reading these reviews is chronologically, since the adventures for each trip often times traverse multiple entries, but they're also categorized alphabetically by city and state, and numerically by store number.
- If that wasn't enough, Project: Denny's is interactive! I quickly realized that there are far more people who view these pages (thousands) than there are who write them (one), and that a good portion of these viewers have even more free time than I do. At first I was just accepting feedback and posting the usually amusing comments to the web page, but I soon realized that the site needed more, and so the Viewer Reviews were born, the details of which follow.
Project: Denny's Main Page
- http://dennys.p7a77.net/ - The main page of the site. Set your bookmarks and links to here. This is the best place to find out quickly what sections have been updated since last you visited.
Introduction
- This is the page you are reading right now. If you haven't figured out by now the purpose if it, then I really can't help you.
Sampler
- In a hurry or just want a taste of what this site has to offer? This is a one-page miniature version of the entire site, with a few of my favorite entries, links, and viewer feedback comments.
Reviews
- The heart of the site. As described above, available chronologically, alphabetically, or numerically. If you have never visited this section before, you owe it to yourself to visit this section and read a few entries. Only then will you realize the perversely extreme nature of this project.
Viewer Index
- There are hundreds more entries here than there are in my reviews, though many are shorter and only a few have photographs. Still, it's a good read, and you have good chance of finding comments about the Denny's you frequent. Of course, the best part is that you can write your own review that others will be able to view and reflect upon.
Trophy Room
- Here is where you'll find information on those who have helped this site along, publications in which we've appeared, and the countless web awards that we've received. And, as an added bonus, links to Denny's, Inc., and viewer web pages.
Viewer Feedback
- Not in the mood to write up your own review? Then just send me a line through traditional viewer feedback, or read the nuggets of wisdom that others have sent. I respond to every piece of email I get, so if your inbox is empty, here's a way to bring some joy to your life.
