Popular Restaurant Chain Abruptly Closes Central New York Location

The Mohawk Valley's breakfast options continue to shrink as another major restaurant chain closes up shop.

You're not imagining it. Numerous businesses and restaurants are closing their doors at breakneck speed this year, and it's not even April.

The economy played a role in some of these closures, with companies like Joanne, Forever 21, and Big Lots filing for bankruptcy.

Others were personal in nature, such as The Inn Between in Camillus saying it was the right time to end its 52-year run. Another example is the The Rainbow Cupboard and Dreamys Candy in Clinton, whose owners decided to retire so they could focus on their families.

Read More: 26 Big Chains That Are Closing or Have Closed Locations in 2025

Meanwhile, the fate of many businesses both big and small are still undecided, which is why the rumor mill is alive and well with speculation over who will close down next.

One contender is Walgreens, which is in the process of shutting down even more stores nationwide.

Another chain that some say could go extinct this year is Denny's, which is in the process of closing roughly 178 "low performing" restaurants, according to USA Today.

This resulted in the abrupt closure of the Denny's in Camillus, which had been serving pancakes and smiles for the past 26 years.

Customers say they walked up to the doors last week only to be turned away by a sign on the door. It was not revealed how many people are now out of a job.

The restaurant, located at 5315 W. Genesee Street, is no longer listed on Denny's corporate website.

Why Is Denny's Closing Restaurants in 2025?

Denny's Chief Financial Officer Robert Verostek said about 90 restaurants will go dark by the end of 2025, in addition to the 88 that closed last year.

Aside from locations being earmarked for low performance, other reasons given for closures are expiring leases and aging buildings.

Stephen Dunn, the company's chief global development officer, had hinted at this back in October. He had said, "Some of these restaurants can be very old. So when you think of a 70-year-old plus brand, you have a lot of restaurants that have been out there for a very long time."

Among the majority of the Denny's being closed nationwide, Dunn hinted the age of the average building was around 30 years.

While the chain plans to shutter nearly 200 stores, it does plan on opening between 25 to 40 new locations in high traffic areas. However, only half of the new openings will be Denny's while the other will be Keke's Breakfast Cafes, of which the company acquired about 3 years ago.

To date, Denny's owns and operates 1,318 restaurants in America. The company has been struggling with declining sales.

Recently, the chain announced an unpopular surcharge on all meals that use eggs due to the nationwide shortage. The company called the move "temporary."

Will Denny's Close More Restaurants in Central New York?

At this time, there are rumors that some establishments in the Mohawk Valley may be closing. WIBX has reached out to Denny's Corporation and the rumored restaurants that are set to close for confirmation.

This report will be updated when more information is available.

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