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- Denny's #0070
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 12:20pm MST
- 3217 E. Van Buren St.
- (602) 275-1552
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Dorothy
- What we ate: nothing
- This place ain't exactly in the most tourist-friendly part of town, but that's okay, because I've rarely found a friendlier wait staff. Based on my brief encounter, if I lived in the area I would make this a regular weekend breakfast location. I would've eaten here except I had over a dozen to visit and I wasn't hungry yet. Gotta pace myself.
- Dorothy informed me that this location is the original Phoenix Denny's. In fact, it's so old that it was originally a Danny's Donuts. Wow.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: Hashbrowns Covered & Smothered Pin
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- Denny's #6327
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 1:55pm MST
- 4120 N. 51st Ave.
- (602) 247-4195
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Kelli
- What we ate: nothing
- I'm glad I didn't eat here. Kelli was generally clueless as to everything around her. Besides, they were pushing their seafood dinners. I don't know about you, but eating seafood at a second-rate franchise diner in the middle of the desert isn't exactly top on my "things to do before I die" list. It might end up being the last.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: nothing
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- Denny's #1153
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 2:10pm MST
- 3456 W. Bethany Home Rd.
- (6020) 973-7716
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Anahi
- What we ate: P7A77 - Garden Scramble Skillet, Rye Toast, Coffee
- They don't have the Garden Fresh Skillet any more! It was much better than this "Garden Scramble" thing they have now. The former had big chunks of broccoli! It was good! Damn them! Maybe they'll bring it back again. They already removed and added it once before.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: Baby Rattle from Lost & Found
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- Denny's #6838
- Glendale, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 2:45pm MST
- 4303 W. Glendale Ave.
- (602) 939-3908
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Rosemary
- What we ate: nothing
- It was good goin' in. Everyone was acting goofy. Rosemary tried to jump in front of my camera when I was taking the photo. Good times. But when I asked for the free stuff the manager came over. Nope. Nothing. Nada. Her arms were crossed. Negative body language. Her reason was that they were short on everything. Seemed to have plenty of Knuckles and ZOOBs, tho'.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: nothing
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- Denny's #6423
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 3:00pm MST
- 2360 W. Northern Ave.
- (602) 995-2653
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Leyla & Company
- What we ate: nothing
- I knew this was a cool place when I walked in. Cathy (who I think was a manager) was standing at the front register, talking on the phone, and smoking. She sort of glanced my way, but pretty much ignored me. Then she ashed in the receipt bucket next to the register. Classic.
- Finally Leyla came by to help me. She said there was a sort of WAY lookalike, but that he was the owner and he needed a wig and so not to put down that she said that. So, uh, okay, Leyla didn't say that. One of the other employees was ready to give me a big plastic credit card sign that they had under the counter, but then another manager type came out and said no. Oh, well. It was still a fun place.
- WAY: Andrew (owner)
- Free Stuff: nothing
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- Denny's #0844
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 3:07pm MST
- 9030 N. Black Canyon Hwy.
- (6020) 944-7970
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Bill (manager)
- What we ate: nothing
- I walked in and was pleased as punch because I saw the manager, Bill, and he was a definite WAY. He was helping a customer, but he glanced up at me and got this little grin on his face. But he seems the type to always have a grin on his face, so I thought nothing of it.
- Then it was my turn to be helped. I started to go into my bit, and Bill asked me if I had that web page. !!! Nobody has EVER recognized me from the pages. Well, okay, I did get recognized at Macworld SF 2001, but I was wearing my jacket with all my Denny's pins and I had a big name tag that said "P7A77", so it only sort of counts. But I wasn't wearing anything to tip him off, and he seemed to recognize me before I even started asking questions. And to be recognized by the WAY of the visit is just icing on the cake.
- I think my excitement over all of this is a big blinking neon sign with sirens and fireworks that I need to find another hobby.
- WAY: Bill (manager)
- Free Stuff: Denny's Cap
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- Denny's #6356
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 3:25pm MST
- 10614 N. 43rd Ave.
- (6020) 439-2337
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Jesus, Sue
- What we ate: nothing
- I went in and Jesus started to field my questions, but then had to get his boss. I wondered if God was coming out to talk to me, but it turned out to be Sue. That's okay, I'm not Christian, so it probably would have put me in quite an awkward situation.
- WAY: Justin (ex-server)
- Free Stuff: Coffee Mug (chipped)
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- Denny's #1983
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 3:35pm MST
- 12407 N. 28th Dr.
- (602) 942-9620
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Holly
- What we ate: nothing
- Holly seemed amused. Amused enough to give me a banana, at any rate.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: Coffee Mug & Banana (in the mug)
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- Denny's #6669
- Glendale, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 3:48pm MST
- 5161 W. Thunderbird Rd.
- (602) 978-5442
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Melissa
- What we ate: nothing
- I was rushing a little bit at this time because I realized I had a while to go before I got back near Chandler, and I needed to re-shoot the picture that got ruined a couple of days previous. Plus, it was really hot out and I was getting a little tired of this whole thing.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: nothing
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- Denny's #1552
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 4:05pm MST
- 2717 W. Bell Rd.
- (602) 993-3263
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Andrea, Michelle
- What we ate: nothing
- This visit reminded me why I don't like making these trips during daylight. Regular shift workers are notoriously humorless, even when they're not busy at all and have time to talk to me. The best is always early in the morning, after the bar crowd clears out but before the morning fishing trip crowd comes in. I was asking Andrea all of the questions, but when I got to the free stuff, the manager just kept shaking her head saying "no". She wouldn't even look at me.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: nothing
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- Denny's #6942
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 4:15pm MST
- 2525 W. Deer Valley Rd.
- (6020) 587-1227
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Pat (general manager)
- What we ate: nothing
- Now this is more like it. It seems that employees generally don't care about giving stuff away, but managers (especially daytime) are usually all tight-assed about it. But then when they get higher in the ranks they start not caring again. Pat first offered to give me a few of his wait staff, but I opted for the carafe.
- WAY: No
- Free Stuff: Orange Juice Carafe
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- Denny's #6619
- Peoria, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 4:44pm MST
- 8131 W. Bell Rd.
- (623) 486-8505
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Shawna
- What we ate: nothing
- Wow. I mean, just wow. What the hell could have happened in Peoria, Arizona, (of all places) for them to institute a city-wide curfew for people under 18? Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Whatever happened to not being afraid of the police if you leave your house during certain hours? I'm sure there are some laws against people gathering, too. Or at least about kids. Who needs that pesky ol' First Amendment, anyway? I mean, one out of a thousand kids might get toilet paper on my faux-adobe house! The horror!
- To sidetrack a bit, when I was visiting the Denny's on Grand in Peoria a while after this visit, I was struck by how familiar it looked. In fact, it took a few seconds of my staring blankly in front of the manager waiting there to help me before I decided that I hadn't been there that day, even though it looked exactly like the Denny's on 43rd in Phoenix (even down to the fliers they had posted behind the counter). But I still couldn't shake the feeling. I got home and realized I *had* been there before, almost four years earlier. Remember that big flashing sign I mentioned before...?
- WAY: Ken (personality, not appearance)
- Free Stuff: nothing
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- Denny's #2006
- Youngtown, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 5:05pm MST
- 11121 NW Grand Ave.
- (623) 933-1380
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Cleo (manager)
- What we ate: nothing
- This is near Sun City, Arizona - Retirement Community Capitol of the World. And boy, did it show. Cleo was as pleasant as can be. He first called Shane (the WAY) a "server assistant", then, as I looked confused, clarified with, "glorified busboy".
- WAY: Shane ("server assistant")
- Free Stuff: Coffee Mug
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- Denny's #6556
- Phoenix, Arizona
- 04 February 2001
- 5:40pm MST
- 1401 N. 75th Ave.
- (602) 873-4828
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- Attendees: P7A77
- Wait-person(s): Shiela
- What we ate: nothing
- They were really busy in here. And I was pretty rushed myself, since the sun was already setting and I was worried I wouldn't get to Chandler in time to take a photograph. People just wouldn't stop going up to the register. The nerve! Finally I just gave up.
- I must say that this most recent trip gave me a bit more of an appreciation for the Metro Phoenix area. I used to think Phoenix was in the running for a new layer of Hell, what with how spread out it is, how much they've terraformed the beautiful natural desert environment, and just the general feeling I get whenever I drove through it. I still feel that way about it, but I know the road system a bit more now, and it's frankly quite easy to navigate. So they've got that goin' for 'em. Which is nice.
- WAY: n/a
- Free Stuff: n/a
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