‘Are you out of your mind?!’: Denny’s closes its doors
Eatery had been a Lakeside presence onHall Road for 30 years
A longtime Hall Road favorite restaurant in Sterling Heights closed its doors for good on Wednesday.
Denny’s shut down its eatery in front of Lakeside Mall, bringing an end to the Grand Slam breakfasts and other dishes popular for years, especially with late night and early morning diners.
There was no notice of the closure on the front door of the business, but would-be patrons did hear a farewell message if they called the restaurant.
“As of today, October 7, we have closed this business permanently,” a woman’s tape-recorded voice said.
“Wewant to thank everybody that helped us through the years and been our patrons and family. We want to wish you a safe, safe year, and goodbye.”
The Sterling Heights location, which was operated by a franchise, was the sole remaining Denny’s in Macomb County. One on Gratiot Avenue in Roseville closed in January.
Denny’s is a table-service diner that offered a variety of dishes, including allday breakfast favorites and formerly was a go-to spot for the late-night and bar crowds.
There was no response to email messages requesting comment sent Monday to the company’s media relations firm. It was unknown how many employees were left without a job or whether they will be offered employment in other locations.
However, it joined a number of national eateries that have closed or curtailed business due to the pandemic and changing consumer tastes in the dining market.
The 5,300- square-foot building first opened in 1980, long beforeHall Road had exploded into an eightlane road that carries more than 100,000 vehicles a day. The road fromM-53 to I-94 has been dubbed the Golden Corridor as it hosts a variety of shopping, dining and retail outlets, as well as colleges, hospitals, a minor league baseball park and performing arts center.
The area around Denny’s was going through a resurgence in recent years with the addition of BJ’s Brewery & Restaurant and First Watch brunch eatery, and plans for an extensive overhaul of Lakeside. That momentumcame to a halt due to the nationwide shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic this past March.
But there again are signs of commercial growth along Hall Road. Last month, the former Andiamo restaurant was demolished to make way for a Chicago-based hot dog and hamburger restaurant known as Portillo’s. On the Shelby Township side of Hall, there is a buzz of construction, led by a new Chick-fil-A restaurant.
Melanie Davis, community relations director for the city of Sterling Heights, said she was not immediately aware of any pending plans for the Denny’s property.