Grand Slam Slugger still a hit at Denny's

Denny's has been a staple on Highway 46 for over 10 years and draws hungry travelers from Highway 5 headed both north and south. And outdoor diners have been stepping up to the plate.

"Our most-popular meal is the Grand Slam Slugger," general manager Christine Sanchez said.

Sanchez has been with Denny's for 15 years. A Bakersfield resident, she started out as a hostess and dishwasher at the Denny's on Buck Owens Boulevard and has been in Wasco for one and one-half years.

She says her job is varied and different every day. It can include taking food orders, answering the phone, serving, and handling personnel matters. She is the administrator on the scene at the Wasco Denny's.

"I am an 055 Key holder, Sanchez said. "It's a position you have to work yourself up to." This means she can open the restaurant along with the many other tasks she performs.

The newest feature Denny's offers is outdoor dining. Staff has set up tables, spatially distanced, to comply with the covid-19 regulations. The outside dining hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Indoor dining is available 24 hours a day, but Sanchez says 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. are the busiest hours.

"Being able to eat outdoors has allowed us to serve more customers," Sanchez said. "When everything was shut down, employment was touch and go. At the beginning, we first had to put our hostesses and dishwashers on unemployment. All but two of them have returned to work and those two left to work elsewhere." Denny's fed all of its employees for two weeks during the beginning of the shutdown. "We made sure everyone had food," Sanchez said.

Since the complete shutdown of restaurants, "we have been able to bring everyone back," Sanchez said. "We are now fully staffed with 24 employees in Wasco."

Although she says Denny's doesn't have many new customers, they still serve most of their regulars from before the pandemic.

The worst part of her job, she says, is having to let people go, while the best part is being able to serve customers and have them leave Denny's happy that they've experienced a good meal.

Denny's linked up with Wasco State Prison and donated to their golf tournament in November 2019.

Sanchez said that in the future, she believes Denny's will continue the sanitizing, wearing of masks and gloves and following of safety regulations instituted during the pandemic.

Seniors age 55 or older have the option of ordering from the Senior Menu, which offers lower prices on specific meals.

Denny's is located at 1804 Highway 46 and (661) 758-6670 is the number to use to call ahead for pick-up.