Five Denny’s restaurants abruptly closed their doors in Minnesota and Wisconsin earlier this month, leaving employees without jobs and customers suddenly without their longtime neighborhood diners. The closures are tied to a struggling franchisee that says it plans to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Five Denny’s restaurants suddenly close
M15 Inc., a Denny’s franchisee, permanently closed five restaurants on September 3, 2026. Four were located in Minnesota — Burnsville, Maplewood, Roseville, and North Branch — while the fifth was in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Employees were notified just one day before the restaurants closed. According to a notice provided to workers, M15 said it had borrowed substantial amounts of money over the previous year but eventually accumulated debt it could no longer sustain.
The company said lender collection activity had reduced the cash available to operate the restaurants, leaving it unable to meet payroll or purchase necessary food and supplies.
Franchisee plans Chapter 7 bankruptcy
M15 Inc. said it had retained bankruptcy counsel and anticipated filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.
The company’s notice also warned that it could not guarantee sufficient funds to cover all outstanding and final payroll obligations. Workers with unpaid wages were advised that they could potentially file claims through the bankruptcy process.
The abrupt closures have been particularly difficult for employees who had worked at the restaurants for years. Some locations had served their communities for decades.
Denny’s hopes restaurants can reopen
The closures do not mean Denny’s itself is going out of business. The restaurants were independently operated by the franchisee, and other Denny’s locations in Minnesota remain open.
Denny’s said it was saddened by the closures and is working with its franchise network to explore options for reopening as many of the five restaurants as possible under new ownership.
The franchisee’s representative similarly said it hopes the locations can eventually reopen as Denny’s restaurants under new ownership.
For now, however, the five restaurants remain closed as M15 prepares for the anticipated bankruptcy proceedings.
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