Denny’s Franchising

Helping America’s Diner Hit a Grand Slam.

With a legacy that spans decades, Denny’s Franchising knows a thing or two about feeding people and running a successful franchise. With over 60 years of experience in franchising, they’ve honed their craft and established staying power by focusing on the things that matter most: creating experiences, fostering connections, and turning dreams into reality.

Denny’s was looking to create a new online experience that better reflected their comprehensive and historic franchising program, and would help attract new business owners to their franchise family.

We partnered with Denny’s team to refresh their website and launch a series of ads on Linkedin to attract successful restaurant and hotel owners looking to expand their portfolio.

MY ROLES:

Creative Direction

Website Design

Paid Media

Landing Page Design

Print Graphics

TOOLS USED:

Adobe

Figma

Miro

TARGET AUDIENCE

Entrepreneurs looking for a long-term, stable partnership to grow their restaurant or hospitality portfolio.

Willing to run a full-service, 24/7 operation
Looking for a proven brand as a stable and supportive long-term partner
Active in their local community
Has business experience in the restaurant, hospitality or retail industry

THE CHALLENGE

Update a legacy web presence and create cohesive digital strategy for generating high-quality leads.

Overcome outdated brand perceptions and reignite interest in Denny’s as a desirable, proven franchise
Make use of digital channels to be more discoverable to restaurateurs, particularly in specific geographical areas
Create more ways to guide users toward connecting with Denny’s to learn about opportunities

APPROACH

BRAND RESEARCH + BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

To understand the industry and who our target audience would be, we conducted a few interviews with Denny’s Franchising stakeholders to more about:

Denny’s brand legacy: with a long history, the key to Denny’s success has been its ability to adapt and stay relevant.
Denny’s Difference: Their long history proves they are a stable and supportive brand that is able to adapt. They’re also committed to helping local communities, being a true partner with franchisees, and thinking of new ways to spark sustainable growth.
Profile of the ideal franchisee: Growth-oriented entrepreneurs with an existing hospitality portfolio and a 24/7 drive to keep growing with a 24/7 operation.

“Our consistent drive has inspired like-minded franchisees to recreate the Denny’s experience, helping our brand learn from yesterday, grow today, and excel tomorrow.”

MAPPING THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

We mapped out the user journey to understand how franchise prospects move through a long, complex sales cycle—uncovering where they discover Denny’s as an option, as well as their questions and concerns that shape their decision-making throughout the process.

This map helped us identify moments of friction, directing us to prioritize:

Building trust in the Denny’s brand and proven franchise system
Providing content that supports decision-making to evaluate risk, fit, and long-term opportunity
What qualifications and investment are required to be considered

RESULTS

To revamp Denny’s Franchising digital presence and attract qualified leads, we designed and launched a refreshed website and a pilot LinkedIn advertising campaign with targeted landing pages.

These initiatives helped modernize the franchise brand and expand visibility online to attract qualified entrepreneurs, while also creating a dedicated space for more engaging content that supports informed decision-making throughout the customer journey.

Website:

The new look combines their classic diner heritage with a modern professional feel appropriate for a driven, successful restaurateur.
The updated site provides an easy, scannable place to guide busy prospects through Denny’s value propositions, their proven success, market opportunities, and investment requirements.

Paid Advertising:

We kicked off a pilot campaign via Linkedin with specific landing pages. We saw a measurable increase in qualified franchise leads over a 90-day period, demonstrating both improved user experience and strong business results.