DENNY'S OPENS ITS NEWEST HAWAI'I LOCATION IN WAIKĪKĪ, READY TO WELCOME RECORD-BREAKING OCEAN ROWER KELSEY PFENDLER HOME

America's Diner debuts a new restaurant on Kalākaua Avenue and will host the YouRowKelsey team for their first meal together on land after Kelsey's solo row from California

Honolulu, HI -- Denny's has officially opened the doors of its newest restaurant on O'ahu, located at 1972 Kalākaua Ave., steps from Waikīkī Beach. The opening marks the 17th Denny's for franchisee Medhat Bechay, whose family-owned business has grown across California and Hawai'i since he opened his first Denny's in 1996.

For three decades, the Bechay family has focused on building welcoming Denny’s restaurants that become part of the communities they serve. With every location they open, their goal is to create a trusted dining experience where neighbors, families, and visitors feel comfortable coming together. 

The new Waikīkī location continues that tradition, giving the community a new place that feels like home to enjoy a familiar meal at any hour.

"This restaurant is a labor of love, four years in the making, and we couldn't imagine a more meaningful way to open our doors than by welcoming Kelsey and her team to Hawaii," said Medhat Bechay. "My family has believed in this Brand for more than 30 years because Denny's believes in people — feeding them, welcoming them, making them feel at home. That's our culture, and it's Hawaii's culture too. Kelsey embodies everything we admire: heart, grit, and the belief that you can do hard things. We'll be waiting for her with a hot breakfast and open arms."

"A new Denny's in Waikīkī reflects the long-term investment of operators like the Bechay family, who have spent three decades building something durable for their communities," said Chris Bode, President and CEO of Denny's. "America's Diner is at its best when we are simply there — open, ready, and glad to be part of our Guests' stories, whether that is a family on vacation, a server picking up a Sunday shift, or a team gathering to mark the end of an extraordinary journey."

Within days of opening, the new Waikīkī restaurant will host the support team behind Kelsey Pfendler and her YouRowKelsey expedition for their first sit-down meal together on land, following Kelsey's solo, unsupported row across the Pacific Ocean from Monterey, California. 

A Grand Canyon river guide and nursing student, Kelsey is rowing in pursuit of multiple world records and in support of The Whale Foundation, a nonprofit providing mental and physical health resources to Grand Canyon guides. 

In the days leading up to her departure from California, Kelsey shared one of her final meals on land with her crew at Denny’s in Monterey ahead of her journey across the Pacific. She will return to the new Denny’s Waikīkī location for her first meal back on land, celebrating her homecoming and bringing the experience full circle.

The new Waikīkī restaurant is open daily, around the clock, at 1972 Kalākaua Ave.

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