Denny’s hosted Pfendler when she arrived in Hawaii. | All photos courtesy of Denny’s
In the early morning hours of May 21, before she embarked on her mission to become the first American woman to row across the mid-Pacific Ocean solo, Kelsey Pfendler sat down at a Denny’s in Monterey, California, and ordered a Philly Cheesesteak Omelette.
It would be her last meal before shoving off on her 2,400-mile journey from California to Hawaii in her specialized ocean rowing boat, a journey that would be followed on social media by hundreds of thousands of people.
Why Denny’s? It’s not just that it was the only place open at 4 a.m. The diner chain has been a favorite stop of Pfendler’s before and after training throughout her boating career, which has included three other ocean crossings.
At the time, Denny’s itself was not aware of its status in Pfendler’s life. And then, on June 17, about three weeks into her trek, a member of her small team sent a message to the Denny’s media line to let them know about the special connection.
“It basically said, ‘Hey, this is happening, and the last thing she had before she set out was the Philly Cheesesteak Omelette at the Denny’s in Monterey, California,” said Fasika Melaku, Denny’s chief people, enterprise communications, and social impact officer. “‘Just want to let you know this is happening, and anything you guys can do to promote our story would be awesome.’”
For Denny’s, which is in the midst of a turnaround campaign under new owners and management, the news was “like Christmas,” Melaku said.
The chain had already been in the process of collecting stories about public figures with ties to Denny’s to help tell its story as “America’s Diner.” There is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, a former Denny’s dishwasher who founded his AI chip company in a Denny’s booth; Drew Carey, who worked as a Denny’s waiter before starting his comedy career; and racecar driver Denny Hamlin, who would routinely visit Denny’s after winning a race as a young driver.
And then Pfendler rowed right into their laps.
“We’ve really been thinking about, in this era, how do we steward America’s Diner? … What are we gonna do today to show people how powerful this diner is?” Melaku said. “And here she is, illustrating exactly why people go to diners.”
The company wanted to move fast. But it did not want to make Pfendler’s story about Denny’s. Instead, it thought about how it could support her on her grueling journey. The chain’s communications staff began talking with Pfendler’s team almost daily to keep tabs on her progress, and started forming a plan to welcome her to Hawaii when she arrived.
Denny’s was part of Pfendler’s Hawaii welcome party.
“Everyone said, ‘Well, how are you gonna monetize it?’” Melaku said. “I’m like, ‘What? No, no, no.’ [We were more concerned about] is she gonna be safe, and then what does the team need? And how can Denny’s show up?”
The chain did publish two social media posts about Pfendler while she was on the water, one of which included a heartfelt message from Melaku.
But most of its energy was focused on creating an awesome welcome party in Waikiki, where Denny’s has three locations. One of them had opened only a week earlier, just minutes from the dock where Pfendler would be landing, another happy coincidence for the brand.
As Pfendler drew closer, her team began sending Colton Grace, Denny’s manager of corporate communications and engagement, daily updates about when she expected to land. They’d initially targeted the second week of July, which then became July 7, and finally, July 3. That would be 43 days after Pfendler had left California, faster than anyone had ever made the trip alone.
Grace flew to Hawaii and raced to help with final preparations, which included printing custom T-shirts, signs, and postcards for fans to write messages to Pfendler. Meanwhile, Pfendler’s family and team turned a nearby Denny’s into a command center as they awaited her arrival.
Denny’s made custom T-shirts to welcome Pfendler to Hawaii.
When Pfendler made land at around 9 p.m. on July 3, she was greeted by family and friends, hundreds of onlookers, and Medhat and Maria Bechay, the owners of the three Denny’s in Waikiki. They draped her with live leis in the traditional Hawaiian fashion, and Maria planted a big kiss on her forehead.
Denny’s had set out plates of food for Pfendler, including a burger, a stack of pancakes, and, of course, the Philly Cheesesteak Omelette. Denny’s also provided a full catering spread for Pfendler’s friends and family.
“She said she had a few bites [of the burger],” Grace said. “But she was very overwhelmed. It was a very emotional moment.”
Pfendler spent July 4 recuperating, and then on July 5, her 32nd birthday, she visited the new Denny’s location in Waikiki. She showed up wearing a Denny’s bathrobe, an old piece of merch her sister had purchased. “She came in like Muhammad Ali,” Melaku said.
Pfendler in her Denny’s robe, with franchisee Medhat Bechay (right).
The restaurant set aside tables for Pfendler and her crew and treated them to specialties from across the menu, including that cheesesteak omelette, now known as “The Kelsey” at Denny’s Hawaii stores. The chain also ordered a cheesecake (Pfendler’s favorite) with the Denny’s logo on top.
The brand hopes that this is just the start of its relationship with Pfendler, who can now safely claim a spot in the Denny’s hall of fame.
“She’s open to saying, ‘What can I do for you? What can I do for this diner?'” Melaku said. “And I’m like, ‘What can we do for you?'”
Denny’s is not sure exactly what that will look like yet. It wants to find a way to support the Whale Foundation, which offers wellness services for Grand Canyon river guides. Pfendler, who works as a river guide when she is not traversing oceans, helped raise more than $30,000 for the organization during her row.
And then there is the omelette that started it all.
“We’re like, we have to do something with [The Kelsey], right?” Melaku said. “What do we do? And how do we take The Kelsey everywhere?”
The Philly Cheesesteak Omelette became The Kelsey in Hawaii.
Melaku and Grace said they have not attempted to measure what impact, if any, the Pfendler connection has had for Denny’s so far. They said it’s just the start of a much larger story the brand is hoping to tell.
“It’s not about what’s the engagement rate or how many impressions we get,” Grace said. “It’s just a great story. We want the world to know that this is the Denny’s, not of the future, but of today and of all time.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.
