The Denny's Story: How a Company in Crisis Resurrected Its Good Name

This is a great book if your into companies restructuring, or rebuilding. I always feel the Denny's chain was sort of put through its paces unjustfully. I worked for Denny's off, & on through the eighties, and ninties. I feel that the book does well with the issues that face a dining icon. Having said this I also feel that it could well be now if your white its harder at Denny's. The Racial issue was a bad omen for the DFO folks. At one time I was made ineligible for rehire, (may still be) at the corporate stores. Because I stood up for myself this made Denny's make me a blacklisted employee. Have worked for several franchises since. I was treated much better at the franchises than I ever was in the company locations. The rebuilding of its image has come with a price. Many unknowing people who tout bad things for Denny's should realize that it was one of the first chains to let all walks of life come in and become an employee at different levels. It was also one of the first to let African Americans become more in the front of the house, ie host(ess), waiter(ess). The book deals with its color diversity quite well --- it does however miss the boat on its other diversities. Meaning contributions to the brand by the GLBT community. Denny's has closed many locations in my area not because of the issues mentioned in the book. Many are grossly mismanaged, and have had trouble with some franchisees going under. This is a good book for a read on some of the behind-the-scenes goings on at The Grand Slam Palace. Like most books its good also to read between the lines.

In the early 1990s, the Denny's Restaurant chain was faced with charges of racial discrimination that severely damaged its image. African-American customers were denied service or asked to prepay before eating. When, in 1994, Denny's settled two class-action lawsuits for US$54 million, a permanent shadow had been cast in its doorway.Then, CEO Jim Adamson came on board. He kept the doors open and, in time, opened the minds of employees to a new way of doing business. He made inclusiveness and diversity central to the company culture. Now, every employee-from waiters to managers-receives specific training that emphasises respect for differences among people. What it took to turn the company around was hours and hours of hard work; thoughtful, innovative, and proactive programs; the willingness to lead and take risks; and most of all, an absolute commitment to do the right thing. Eventually, Fortune magazine ranked Denny's among the top ten companies for minorities in America.The Denny's Story is the real-life account of how the company pulled itself out of a public relations nightmare and earned back the trust of its customers. Adamson explains the beliefs and strategies necessary for changing the heart of an organisation in serious distress that can be applied to any business. He provides an honest blueprint for dealing with crisis, arming the reader with the tools needed to alter management thinking, build a strong sense of unity, and keep employees happy in the process. Enlightening and instructive, The Denny's Story is a remarkable example of how teamwork, fairness, and keeping the customer satisfied will protect the good name of your company during any crisis you may face in the future.Since 1995, Jim Adamson has been the chairman and CEO of Advantica, the parent company of Denny's restaurant. Formerly, he was CEO of Burger King. Robert McNatt is an editor of Business Week and a former reporter for Reuters. Rosemary Bray McNatt is an author who has previously worked as editor for the New York Times Book Review.