When
I was in high school, Denny’s was the place to go after a concert. My friends
and I would recount the night’s adventures over cigarettes, coffee, and 24-7
breakfast. It was the premiere
late-night hang-out for the under-21 crowd, especially after concerts. Before everyone
had cell phones, email and IM, this was how and where word got around.
Technology
makes it a lot easier to share our experiences now, but Denny’s still holds a
special place in the culture of touring bands and their fans. And this
summer, Denny’s is fully embracing its after-hours reputation for “feeding
bands and music fans since 1953” by adopting up-and-coming bands.
“At a time when
touring costs are high, Denny’s wants to help. Each month Denny’s will pick
bands to eat for free while on tour.”
Simply brilliant. Denny’s gives one touring band
a month a free meal ticket. Which also gives that band’s fans an all-ages
after-party location – one that serves food all night. This is only one piece
of the restaurant’s partnership with Filter Magazine, an unlikely partnership that is actually
pretty cool.
It’s called Denny’s All Nighter. Cast your vote for the next band to be adopted this summer. Share
photos from your all-nighter. Submit your band to be adopted. Read up on featured
acts. Catch up on the
latest music news, courtesy of Filter Magazine’s RSS feed. Sneak a peek at custom
menu items created by your
favorite big-name bands (I’m going to have
to try the Eagles of Death Metal’s heart-shaped delicacies).
On
the flip-side (pardon the pun) Denny’s makes an appearance in Filter’s annual Good Music Guide – a complimentary PDF available at
Filter’s site. It would have been cool to get some of those adopted bands
involved in this piece, or showcase the custom menu items created by
bigger-name acts.
All this comes on the heels of Denny’s
appearance at Sasquatch
Music Festival, where a pop-up Denny’s
Lounge fed hordes of hungry fans and bands alike. The chain even held a contest
for its late-night servers in which one lucky winner got an all-expense-paid
trip to the festival. Did I mention that entries were submitted via a branded YouTube
channel? Yep. Here’s the winning entry.
While
the website serves as its hub, Denny’s All Nighter make-over extends to the
chain’s restaurants, beyond the rock-star crafted menu items mentioned above.
According to USA Today, “from 10 p.m. to 5
a.m., alternative rock will replace the middle-of-the-road music now piped in.
Instead of black pants and collared shirts, wait staff will wear jeans and
T-shirts during these hours.
“The
chain also is launching two late-night-only menus. One is a value menu with
items such as nacho cheese fries for $3.99. The other is a
"shareable" menu, with seasoned kettle chips, mini-burgers and $7
Sweet Ride Nachos — tortilla chips in cinnamon sugar, fruit, hot fudge and
whipped cream.”
In
a move to lure late-night snackers from the competition and keep the proverbial party going, Denny’s is taking some risks
here. But it’s encouraging to see a brand take advantage of digital media to
reach an audience that broadcast can’t connect with in the same way. Denny’s the
brand has found new ways to be useful to bands and fans. Ways that are unique
to Denny’s. That rocks.
Now, I’m ready for my Eagles of Death Metal
pancakes. Who else is up for an all-nighter?
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