Saturday, November 7, 2026

Question: In 1953, two partners opened a coffee-and-doughnut shop in Lakewood, California, called Danny’s Donuts. A few years later, they changed the name, and it grew into one of America’s best-known diner chains. What is it now called?

Answer: Denny’s. Founders Harold Butler and Richard Jezak initially chose the name Danny because it was popular at the time. The business adopted its current name in 1959 to avoid confusion with a competing chain called Coffee Dan’s, then dropped “Coffee Shops” from its name in 1961.