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No more Grand Slams for FReeper Registered
Muskegon Chronicle-hard copy ^ | 12-10-02 | Lynn Moore

Posted on 12/10/2002 7:49:27 PM PST by Registered

No more Grand Slams for FReeper Registered

After 22 years, restaurant closes its doors

Denny's Restaurant, a virtual institution among late-night diners, abruptly closed its doors for good Monday afternoon, citing lagging business.

The Norton shores restaurant, which opened in 1980, closed at 3 pm Monday. The restaurant was hurt financially by safety and security concerns that forced the corporation to stop making it a 24-hour eatery-a "trademark" of Denny's restaurants, a corporate spokeswoman said.

Customers (Like Me) and workers were not given advance warning the restaurant would be closing, said Melanie Mathews of Muskegon, a (darn good) server at the restaurant. Employees, some of whom worked at the restaurant for more than 20 years, were told the restaurant was closing during a meeting Monday afternoon, she said.

"It was a big blow" (tell me about it), Mathews said, "There's a lot of people out of a job and a lot of families and children that will be affected by this...there were women in there sitting and crying"(not me, I'm a guy)

The 48 employees were offered a two-week severance package and the opportunity to transfer to other Denny's restaurants, the closes being in Holland and on Plainfield Avenue in Grand Rapids, said Debbie Atkins, spokeswoman for Denny's, which is based in Spartanburg, S.C.

The Norton Shores restaurant originally was open 24 hours. But several years ago, corporate officials (that don't understand Michigan "culture") decided to start closing at 3 am every day but Sunday, when it closed at 1:45am, Atkins said.

"Unfortunately that hurt the business-the fact that we couldn't be open 24 hours," Atkins said,"Security is a top priority for us-ensuring the safety and security of our customers and employees. And we didn't believe we could do that at that location in the early morning hours"

The restaruant was the site of a a couple of melees over the years. In 1994, police said a "near riot" and "free for all" brawl in the restaurant at 3:11am involved more than 50 people-practically all the patrons at the time (the Michigan "culture" thing).

And in the 1999, a fight that involved 15 to 20 people caused $4,000 in damage at 3:32am . During that fray, patrons left without paying while others went into the cooking area and grabbed food (to eat and watch the action of course).

Atkins said, Denny's now will be looking to sub-lease the property on which the corporation holds a long-term lease.

Mathews said she was disappointed that the corporation chose to close the restaurant so close to Christmas. "It seems like they could have held on at least until after the holidays", she said, (and now for the Willie Green wind-up statement...) "To Denny's, you're no more than a bottom line number, and that's how we felt yesterday."

Atkins said corporation officials "regret" the decision to close...there's never a good time for this," (duh) Atkins said. For any additional questions, call Denny's Customer Service Team at 1-800-733-6697.

end of story.



TOPICS: Announcements; Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: 199ruoutofyourmind; almostfood; atkinshoax; busheconomy; chickenfriedsteakyum; dennys; downturn; economy; food; hickfolk; hungry; latenights; littlefolk; maglev; mexicantrucks; munchies; nafta; nothingtodo; pofolk; unemployedfolk; whambamsuperslam
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To: Erasmus
pedant alert:

Referring to "the hoi polloi" is a redundancy.

"hoi" or oi (with the breath accent over the o) means "the" (plural).

81 posted on 12/11/2002 7:39:19 AM PST by AnAmericanMother
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To: freedox
This article brings to mind my chickensnot story. I have a similar one about a glass of tea I ordered at Denny's once. LOL!
82 posted on 12/11/2002 8:00:06 AM PST by Ms. AntiFeminazi
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To: Registered
"The Norton Shores restaurant originally was open 24 hours."

In a ROW?! I guess you'd save money on door locks...

83 posted on 12/11/2002 8:05:03 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: FreedomPoster
Where I used to work in the Raleigh area, we would head to breakfast at the Waffle House out on Airport Blvd about once a week.

I never chuckled so much as the morning when our 70 year-old "country girl" waitress decided she had enough of the place. Employees were slow getting in that morning and the line of customers was heading out the door. You could see the temperature rising when all of a sudden she just threw her pad and pencil down, took off her apron and threw it across the counter. She actually said, "F*CK This place!" and "I ain't puttin' up with this SH*T NO MORE!, I've had enough!" (70, mind you...) and walked out, leaving the 24-year old ex-con cook and an 18-year old pregnant waitress to fend for themselves. I nearly fell off my stool, it was priceless...

84 posted on 12/11/2002 8:19:26 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: Alberta's Child
I agree with you about Greeks owning restaurants!! They are the best at it!

Opa!!

g

85 posted on 12/11/2002 9:05:31 AM PST by Geezerette
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To: Ms. AntiFeminazi
"This article brings to mind my chickensnot story. I have a similar one about a glass of tea I ordered at Denny's once. LOL!"

Come on, MAF.....nothing could be similar to your chickensnot story!! (And btw, I hope you used that glass of tea to wash down a Super Slam......otherwise, I'll disown ya.)

86 posted on 12/11/2002 9:33:27 AM PST by freedox
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To: Registered
You know that Denny's that closed in your town? It probably moved out here to California. We must have 5000 here in L.A. County alone. LOL
87 posted on 12/11/2002 11:03:58 AM PST by Pagey
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To: freedox
Trust me, this one is very similar. Let's just say I ran from Denny's hungry and thirsty that night and never looked back. lol.

88 posted on 12/11/2002 11:17:51 AM PST by Ms. AntiFeminazi
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To: lewislynn
I don't know about rare hamburger, steak, or steak tartar, but if you want "lickety split" you can get that in Nevada.

*ROFL!*

89 posted on 12/11/2002 11:39:44 AM PST by Dan Day
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To: Geezerette
Cheeseburga, cheeseburga, cheeseburga, cheeseburga...
90 posted on 12/11/2002 11:43:18 AM PST by Chemist_Geek
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To: 185JHP
A Waffle House would be wonderful for 'em.

Mmmm, patty melt....

91 posted on 12/11/2002 11:43:49 AM PST by Dan Day
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To: Registered
Sounds like an opportunity to me...
92 posted on 12/11/2002 11:51:38 AM PST by ApesForEvolution
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To: Geezerette
First job: Worked in Greek Restaurant, named "Souvlaki in a Basket"...free Baklava was my perk!
93 posted on 12/11/2002 11:57:35 AM PST by dakine
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To: HAL9000
Lust a little something EXTRA with your meal.
94 posted on 12/11/2002 6:16:00 PM PST by packrat35
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To: HAL9000
OOPS THATS JUST a little something EXTRA with your meal.
95 posted on 12/11/2002 6:16:43 PM PST by packrat35
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To: LasVegasMac; Willie Green
Don't forget to mention the cocktail waitresses at the Rio.

jla...former resident of Henderson, NV

96 posted on 12/11/2002 6:28:04 PM PST by jla
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To: Registered
While you are bemoaning the loss of your Dennys. take a little time to feel bad for all of the geriatrics denied their daily dose of Bill Knapps.
97 posted on 12/11/2002 6:47:28 PM PST by CharacterCounts
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To: AnAmericanMother
my sainted grandmother would probably rise up out of her grave and slap me . . .

Either that, or she'd snatch you bald-headed!!

98 posted on 12/11/2002 10:04:04 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: SuziQ
LOL! She would never do such a thing, she was a Lady with a capital "L". I never knew her to raise her voice or be less than perfectly groomed and coiffed, even when gardening. Most amazing. I still tell my husband when I sit on a made-up bed, "If Na-na could see me, she'd have the vapors."
99 posted on 12/12/2002 7:13:33 AM PST by AnAmericanMother
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To: breakem
What's the deal at Waffle House where the waitress goes to within 7-8 feet of the cook and yells the order at him? It's a southern and western thang. Part of the culture I guess. At one time it was, and in some locations still is, quite possible that one or both of them couldn't read or write. How else would the waitress tell the cook what you wanted? But offend that waitress and you might hear "Kiss my grits!" or something a bit more ... colorfull. Really offend her and you might get the cook's spatula imbedded in your forehead.
100 posted on 12/12/2002 3:48:30 PM PST by El Gato
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