Denny’s Embraces Indulgence, Ignores Health Risks with the ‘Let’s Get Cheesy’ Menu

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What would you like for lunch today? How about a full days worth of calories and two days worth of fat? Oh, I know you can easily get that in any ‘glutton burger’ you’ll find around in burger joints looking for a moment of fame on one of the Travel or Cooking network shows … but how about as one of the featured items on Denny’s ‘Let’s Get Cheesy’ campaign?

Here is part of the press release:

Cheese enthusiasts across the nation are set to rejoice with the launch of Denny’s “Let’s Get Cheesy!” menu. Showing some serious cheese love, Denny’s fromage feast features six new dishes designed to make any cheese lover melt.

Denny’s is encouraging everyone to get a little cheesy with the launch of the new menu – from corny clichés and hokey pick-up lines to unsubtle movie love quotes – and hosting a celebration for all the cheese-lovers out there. Urging everyone to try something a little different with their favorite dairy, the new menu boasts a medley of both traditional and unconventional cheesy choices covering, smothering, oozing and gooey with every dish.

And what are those dishes mentioned?

· The ultimate cheesy choice with the Mac ‘n Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt – a hand-pressed beef patty topped with new creamy Mac ‘n Cheese, melted cheddar cheese and zesty Frisco sauce on grilled potato bread, served with a side of wavy-cut French fries. That’s right, no sandwich is too small or meat too mighty to benefit from just a little more cheese.

· The Cheese Please Omelette – a three-egg omelette with a blend of cheeses folded in, topped off with a creamy cheese sauce and diced tomatoes, served with hash browns and choice of bread.

· The Winner Winner Cheesy Dinner – two golden-fried chopped beef steaks covered in pepper jack cheese sauce, served with a side of new creamy Mac ‘n Cheese, broccoli topped with cheese sauce and dinner bread.

· The Cheesy Breakfast Sampler – featuring a cheddar smoked sausage, two eggs scrambled with cheddar cheese, hash browns topped with melted shredded cheddar cheese and choice of bread.

· Say Cheese Sizzlin’ Skillet – a blend of diced cheddar smoked sausage, fire-roasted peppers and onions, grape tomatoes and seasoned red-skinned potatoes topped with shredded cheddar cheese, cheese sauce and two eggs cooked any way you like.

· The Big Cheese Country-Fried Steak & Eggs – featuring a golden-fried chopped beef steak covered in pepper jack cheese sauce, served with hash browns topped with melted shredded cheddar cheese, two eggs cooked any way you like and choice of bread.

OK, perhaps it isn’t fair to say they totally ignore the fact that all of these things are absolutely grotesquely unhealthy, as they have buried in the release:

Denny’s continually strives to meet the wants and needs of its customers and is always open to trying something a little bit different. So whether that’s providing healthier alternatives with our Fit Fare menu items, or serving up six new dishes to please our cheese-loving customers, we’ve got something to suit everyone.

So it seems like they are clear enough to make a contrast between ‘healthy’ and the cheesy specials. But they make sure to dampen any implications about consequences by offering a much more enticing deal in the next paragraph:

And if the limited-time menu still doesn’t have enough cheese to please you, there’s the option to cheese it up even more by adding some extra ooze to any dish for just 69 cents. Diners can also substitute America’s favorite cheesy side dish Mac ‘n Cheese, to any entrée for no extra charge. To round off your cheese feast with a sweet finish, the new Strawberry Pancake Puppies® with Cream Cheese Icing and the Strawberry Cheesecake Milk Shake are sure to send you home one happy, cheesed-out customer.

Having just come from the New York State Fair I am well aware that it is very easy to find cheap and grossly unhealthy food around, and that way too many already unhealthy people indulge in mass quantities of these foods for chain restaurants to ignore them. Regardless of anything, deep-fried cheese-heavy food sells. However, would it have been SO hard to include a message about the health risks of eating a 1700 calorie burger, with several hundred calories each added for extra cheese, more macaroni & cheese, and the fat-laden desserts and shakes? Somehow I don’t think the same appeal would be there if they knew they were consuming more fat and calories in a sitting than many people eat in a week!

Source: Eater.com via Consumerist

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!

5 Comments on "Denny’s Embraces Indulgence, Ignores Health Risks with the ‘Let’s Get Cheesy’ Menu"

  1. It’s obvious enough to any sensible person that these are poor choices for anyone concerned about the health ramifications of eating too much fatty food in one sitting.

    Unless there’s some sort of deception on the part of Dennys (which doesn’t appear to be the case), I guess I don’t see the point of this post. Other restaurant chains have offered “cheese lovers” items on their menus for years: http://www.pizzahut.com/pizza.html

    • You would think it would be obvious that these type choices are utterly unhealthy, but unfortunately I think that there are plenty of under or ill-informed people who think a meal like this is perfectly appropriate when they are hungry.

      … and that’s why sites like this one will always have new food to post:

      http://thisiswhyyourefat.tumblr.com/

  2. It’s obvious enough to any sensible person that these are poor choices for anyone concerned about the health ramifications of eating too much fatty food in one sitting.

    Unless there’s some sort of deception on the part of Dennys (which doesn’t appear to be the case), I guess I don’t see the point of this post. Other restaurant chains have offered “cheese lovers” items on their menus for years: http://www.pizzahut.com/pizza.html

  3. It’s obvious enough to any sensible person that these are poor choices for anyone concerned about the health ramifications of eating too much fatty food in one sitting.

    Unless there’s some sort of deception on the part of Dennys (which doesn’t appear to be the case), I guess I don’t see the point of this post. Other restaurant chains have offered “cheese lovers” items on their menus for years: http://www.pizzahut.com/pizza.html

  4. haha, yes denny’s; american stoner’s favorite late night special! =)

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