When America’s Diner decides to go all-out for National Waffle Week, the food and beverage industry takes notice. Denny’s latest marketing campaign isn’t just about selling more waffles: it’s a masterclass in customer engagement, social media activation, and menu innovation that food service industry professionals should study closely.
From September 7-13, 2025, Denny’s is transforming the humble waffle into a canvas for culinary creativity, proving that even established food and beverage companies can reinvent classic offerings to drive traffic and build brand loyalty.
The Strategic Genius Behind Denny’s Waffle Week Campaign
This isn’t your typical promotional week. Denny’s has crafted a comprehensive food and beverage marketing strategy that hits multiple touchpoints simultaneously. The campaign combines limited-time offers, user-generated content, social media giveaways, and menu hacking: all centered around a single, beloved breakfast staple.
“At Denny’s, we love seeing our guests take breakfast into their own hands — literally,” said Ellie Doty, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer at Denny’s. “National Waffle Week is all about creativity, fun and flavor. Whether you’re remixing a classic or inventing something new, we love to see how our guests make it deliciously personal.”
This quote reveals the deeper strategy: Denny’s is positioning itself not just as a restaurant chain, but as a platform for customer creativity and personalization: a trend that’s reshaping the entire food service industry.
Breaking Down the BOGO Strategy
The centerpiece of Denny’s campaign is a Buy One, Get One (BOGO) deal available exclusively on Dennys.com. Customers can purchase either a Berry Waffle Slam® or Waffle Slam® and receive another entrée of equal or lesser value for free. But this isn’t just about driving sales: it’s about creating abundance.
By doubling the waffle portions, Denny’s gives customers more ingredients to work with for their DIY creations. It’s a brilliant move that transforms a simple discount into an enabler of creativity. Food and beverage directors should note how this approach increases perceived value while encouraging larger orders and extended dwell time.
The digital-exclusive nature of the offer also drives traffic to Denny’s own ordering platform, reducing third-party delivery fees and capturing valuable customer data: a crucial consideration for any food and beverage company looking to build direct relationships with consumers.
Menu Innovation Through Customer Participation
Rather than developing new menu items in corporate test kitchens, Denny’s is crowdsourcing innovation by promoting customer-created “hacks.” This approach offers several advantages for food and beverage management:
Cost-Effective R&D: Customer-generated menu combinations require no additional ingredient sourcing or kitchen equipment modifications. Every component already exists in Denny’s supply chain.
Authentic Marketing: User-generated content feels more authentic than traditional advertising, particularly among younger demographics who value peer recommendations.
Risk Mitigation: Popular hacks can be evaluated for potential menu additions without the upfront investment of formal menu development.
The Art of the Waffle Hack
Denny’s is promoting two signature combinations that showcase the versatility of their existing menu:
Chicken & Waffles Sandwich Hack
This creation transforms traditional chicken and waffles into a handheld experience:
- Order a Waffle Slam and Premium Chicken Tenders
- Stack one waffle, three crispy tenders, and bacon
- Top with another waffle
- Drizzle with maple syrup for the perfect sweet-savory combo
- Photograph for Instagram and enjoy
The genius here lies in the familiar flavor profile presented in an unexpected format. Food service industry professionals should note how this hack leverages the established popularity of chicken and waffles while creating a more Instagram-friendly presentation.
The Waffleburger Hack
This ambitious creation bridges breakfast and lunch dayparts:
- Order a Waffle Slam and a Single Cheeseburger with Onion Rings
- Stack: waffle → onion ring → burger patty with cheese → onion ring → waffle
- Top with an egg and bacon strips
- Photograph and share on social media
This hack demonstrates how menu innovation can blur traditional daypart boundaries: a trend that’s increasingly important as consumer dining patterns become more flexible.
Social Media as a Marketing Multiplier
The #dennysbigwaffle hashtag campaign transforms customers into brand ambassadors. By encouraging users to photograph and share their creations, Denny’s generates authentic content at scale while building community around their brand.
The partnership with @allaboutvibe for custom giant waffle pillows adds a collectible element that extends the campaign’s reach beyond the dining experience. These limited-edition items create urgency and provide additional social sharing opportunities.
For hospitality industry professionals, this demonstrates how physical merchandise can amplify digital campaigns when thoughtfully integrated.
Loyalty Program Integration
Denny’s strategically uses its loyalty program to create exclusive access, with members receiving the BOGO code on September 7: a full day before the general Instagram release on September 8. This approach:
- Rewards existing loyal customers
- Incentivizes loyalty program signups
- Creates multiple waves of social media buzz
- Demonstrates the tangible value of membership
Food and beverage companies should note how this tiered access strategy can maximize campaign impact while strengthening customer relationships.
What Restaurant Operators Can Learn
Denny’s Waffle Week campaign offers several takeaways for food service industry professionals:
Embrace Customer Creativity: Rather than controlling every aspect of the dining experience, create spaces for customer participation and personalization.
Leverage Existing Assets: Innovation doesn’t always require new ingredients or equipment. Sometimes it’s about presenting familiar elements in new ways.
Think Beyond the Plate: Modern marketing requires integration across digital platforms, physical merchandise, and social experiences.
Build Community: Successful campaigns create connection between customers, not just between customers and brands.
The food and beverage industry is increasingly competitive, and campaigns like this demonstrate how established brands can stay relevant by embracing creativity, community, and customer participation.
The Broader Impact on Food and Beverage Trends
This campaign reflects several broader trends reshaping the food service industry. The emphasis on customization aligns with growing consumer demand for personalization. The social media integration acknowledges that dining experiences extend far beyond the physical meal.
Perhaps most importantly, Denny’s approach demonstrates how traditional food and beverage companies can compete with newer, more agile brands by embracing the spirit of experimentation and community building that characterizes today’s most successful hospitality businesses.
As National Waffle Week approaches, industry professionals would do well to study not just what Denny’s is doing, but how they’re doing it. The real innovation here isn’t in the food: it’s in the comprehensive approach to customer engagement that makes every participant feel like a co-creator in the brand experience.
For those looking to implement similar strategies, remember that successful campaigns like this require coordination across operations, marketing, digital platforms, and supply chain management. The food and beverage industry’s future belongs to brands that can orchestrate these complex, multi-faceted experiences while maintaining operational excellence.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
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