Denny’s Hires Pankaj Patra as Chief Digital and Technology Officer

SPARTANBURG, S.C., Oct. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Denny’s Corporation (the "Company") (NASDAQ: DENN), owner and operator of Denny's Inc. ("Denny's") and Keke's Inc. ("Keke's"), today announced the hiring of Pankaj Patra as Chief Digital and Technology Officer (CDTO). This is a newly created enterprise role that will include support for Denny’s and Keke’s. Patra will be responsible for accelerating the company’s capabilities across all specialties within the Digital, Technology and Information functions.

“Our restaurant teams and our guests rely on technology to enable a seamless experience, which makes the work that our IT team does absolutely critical,” said Kelli Valade, CEO, Denny’s. “We are excited to add Pankaj to the team to help us build on the solid foundation already in place, while leading us in identifying new, relevant and innovative solutions to serve our guests, employees and franchisees in the future.”

Patra comes to Denny’s from Brinker International, Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, responsible for overseeing information technology and data security for the company and its restaurants brands. Patra brings 25 years of experience as an innovative enterprise technology architect, digital strategist and information technology leader.

“Denny’s is an iconic restaurant company that understands and values the connection between great people and smart technology. I am looking forward to working collaboratively across the company to identify opportunities for improvement and implement exciting, innovative, transformative solutions,” said Patra.

Patra earned his undergraduate degree from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela and went on to attain his MBA from Southern Methodist University. He is a member of the Dallas chapter of the International Food and Beverage Technology Association.

Patra is based in Dallas and will assume the position effective October 30, 2023. Michael Furlow, Denny’s Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, will remain on staff through the end of the year to support the transition. For more information, please visit dennys.com.

About Denny’s Corporation

Denny’s Corporation is one of America’s largest full-service restaurant chains based on number of restaurants. As of June 28, 2023, the Company consisted of 1,646 restaurants, 1,572 of which were franchised and licensed restaurants and 74 of which were company operated.

Denny's Corporation consists of the Denny’s brand and the Keke’s brand. As of June 28, 2023, the Denny's brand consisted of 1,591 global restaurants, 1,525 of which were franchised and licensed restaurants and 66 of which were company operated. As of June 28, 2023, the Keke's brand consisted of 55 restaurants, 47 of which were franchised restaurants and 8 of which were company operated.

For further information on Denny's Corporation, including news releases, links to SEC filings, and other financial information, please visit investor.dennys.com.

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