Manhattan's first-ever Denny's opened Friday at 5 a.m. near City Hall, bringing an up-scaled version of the classic American diner to New York's most famous borough.
Eater.com reported that the road to opening was a treacherous one, with Denny's facing lawsuits, online attacks rife with NIMBY-ism, and liquor license troubles.
Nonetheless, New Yorkers can now enjoy Moons Over My Hammy Omelettes alongside a list of specialty craft cocktails, and the much talked about $300 "Grand Cru Slam," which includes Grand Slams for two, a bottle of Dom Perignon Premier Cru champagne, and a "bartender high-five."
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"It’s greasy— with a side of glitzy,"
declared the New York Post, noting the restaurant's flat-screen TVs, leather booths, and vintage photos of the city.
"You're not just in a Denny's — you're in a Manhattan Denny’s," franchise owner Rahul Marwah told reporters. "We built such a high-end restaurant in terms of the decor and atmosphere but . . . it’s very affordable."
Marwah said that although the menu includes cocktails starting at $11 and $300 bottles of Dom, the alcohol prices are below the average Manhattan bar.
Zach Tirone, a sommelier at the LCL: Bar & Kitchen, basically agreed,
telling the New York Daily News that the champagne goes for $400 or more at many restaurants.
"It’s a little absurd, but it’s really not a bad deal," he explained. "The champagne has great acidity, so if you’re having richer and fatty foods like bacon it’s going to cut right through it."
Marwah's franchise is just one of 1,680 Denny's located across the country, and he said he's taken extra precautions in consideration of his neighbors. Sound dampening materials and pollution control filters were installed to contain the noises and smells of the restaurant. The latter of the two became a subject of controversy in 2012 when residents near an IHOP on 14th Street said their apartments became so inundated with bacon smells that they were unlivable.
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