Another Denny's freebie: Now, bring a friend

[JudynTX]

Denny's gave away some 2 million Grand Slam breakfasts on Feb. 3. Now they're at it again with the "Pass Along Grand Slam Kindness" promotion. From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, you can get a free Grand Slamwich for a friend when you order a Grand Slam for yourself.

"We invite you to bring a friend . . . anyone who could use a hug, a smile, a lift, a free meal. . . . I'm sure everyone knows someone who they want to pass Grand Slam kindness on to," says Mark Chmiel, chief marketing and innovation officer.

What's a Grand Slamwich? So glad you asked.

The Grand Slamwich consists of scrambled eggs, seasoned sausage, bacon, shaved ham, mayonnaise and American cheese grilled on potato bread with a maple ed spread. It is served with hash browns, and normally costs $4.99.

According to a press release, Denny's CEO Nelson Marchioli said the original marketing project "turned into an almost spiritual awakening for all of us . . . we had no idea how badly Americans needed this."

Marchioli was referring to customer comments like these:

"I was just laid off from my job, and with the economy the way it is, it is very difficult to take our family of four out to breakfast. This was a wonderful treat that meant more to us than a free meal."

"My husband and I have not really gone out to eat since we both lost our jobs. It was a real treat to spend some extra time with my family and not have to cook or clean any dishes."

"I am one of the millions of Americans who are currently unemployed and, therefore, it meant more than a hot meal -- it meant someone in corporate America cares about people."

The previous promotion caused long lines but a lot less commotion than one might think would arise from offering free food. A customer who was allegedly assaulted in an Ohio parking lot "declined medical attention and went in to get the free breakfast," according to a news report.

Gratis grease does strange things to people. And I don't mean "grease" in a bad way -- I'm a big fan of bacon. But it's probably just as well we don't eat like this every morning, since an original Grand Slam breakfast contains 770 calories and 44 grams of fat.

And maple and mayonnaise -- is it just me, or does this sound like a Homer Simpson combo? Unfortunately, it's probably pretty tasty. Guess I'll have to go to the Denny's a couple of miles up the street and find out. I'll probably tell them to hold the mayo, though.


Denny's

[ploto]

The Grand Slamwich consists of scrambled eggs, seasoned sausage, bacon, shaved ham, mayonnaise and American cheese grilled on potato bread with a maple ed spread.