The answer to “how much does Denny’s pay an hour” varies by location because most of these restaurants are franchisee-owned.

Still, you can actually make a living wage in some positions at this well-known and favorite breakfast place. However, making enough money to live on usually takes a few years of experience, unless you are into restaurant management.

For some people, the goal is to gain experience and move up into a management position.

Denny’s Starting Pay

Denny’s base pay is either minimum wage in the state or slightly above. Therefore, the average hourly pay for an employee working as a host or dishwasher, for example, will be about $10 an hour.

Denny’s Server Pay

Denny’s pay rate for the average server is about $14.43 an hour, and this figure includes both tips and wages. Servers collect tip money on a daily basis, and this is very attractive to some people. See more of the server job description.

The Denny’s server is responsible for providing excellent customer service. This worker is also tasked with helping to maintain the cleanliness of the restaurant, ensuring that all food and drink orders are taken accurately and promptly, and ensuring that all guests are well taken care of.

Denny’s Host Pay

Denny’s pay for hosts is typically about $12.57 per hour. This amounts to $502 a week if you work full-time and a yearly salary of $26,145.

The hosts greet guests, provide seating for them, and take care of any other guests’ needs while they wait for their food. They provide drinks and answer questions about menu items, keep tables clean, and remove trash from tables.

Denny’s Dishwasher Pay

The pay at Denny’s for dishwasher is roughly $12.36 an hour, and this equals $494 a week and $25,708 yearly.

The dishwasher is responsible for cleaning and sanitizing the dishes, glasses, silverware, and utensils in the restaurant. This is a very simple job but requires a lot of effort in order to perform the duties up to expectations.

Denny’s Line Cook Pay

Denny’s hourly pay for line cooks is $14.47 an hour. This amount is fairly close to a living wage at $578 weekly, and $30,097 a year.

The line cook is responsible for preparing food according to Denny’s menu. The line cook will use various cooking techniques and tools to prepare food, including ovens and grills, fryers, and stovetops.

Denny’s Cook Pay

Denny’s hourly pay for cooks is $15.54 an hour. This equals $621 weekly and $32,323 a year.

The Denny’s Cook is responsible for the preparation of food, beverage, and table service. This includes maintaining a clean and safe work environment, following company safety and sanitation policies and procedures, following proper food handling practices, preparing food according to the menu items selected by the restaurant manager, assisting with customer service, and providing excellent customer service.

Denny’s Shift Leader Salary

A shift leader at Denny’s earns $39,235, on average.

This worker is responsible for the smooth operation of the store during their shift. This includes maintaining a clean and safe environment, ensuring that food preparation is conducted according to company standards, and providing exceptional customer service.

Denny’s Assistant Manager Salary

An assistant manager at Denny’s earns about $42,678 a year, and this does not include possible yearly bonuses of up to $2,000.

This role is responsible for providing an exceptional dining experience to guests while maintaining a clean, safe and efficient restaurant. The assistant manager is responsible for ensuring guest satisfaction by providing high-quality service. Additionally, he or she also ensures that the restaurant is well-maintained and runs efficiently.

Denny’s Manager Salary

The typical salary for a Denny’s manager position is $55,621 a year, and this does not include bonuses totaling up to $3,000 a year.

The Denny’s Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, including staffing, scheduling, ordering, inventory management, and marketing. This includes ensuring that the restaurant is clean and safe at all times and that customer service standards are met.

Denny’s District Manager Salary

Denny’s district managers earn an average of about $83,450 a year. This career comes with yearly bonuses that can total up to $6,500.

The district manager is responsible for the restaurants in an assigned district, including recruiting and training new employees, managing inventory and cash flow, and making sure that the restaurant is in compliance with company policies. This manager also assists with marketing, advertising, and public relations.

Does Denny’s pay weekly?

Denny’s pays its employees biweekly. The payday varies because most stores are franchisee-owned, and these owners can establish their own pay periods.

Therefore, consult with your hiring manager, so you can be clear on when you will get paid. Denny’s pay period can also vary. For example, while one location may start its pay period on a Monday and end two Sundays later for a total of 14 days, another location may start its pay period on a Friday and end two Saturdays after that.

Usually, however, the payday is every two Thursdays or Fridays.

Denny’s Pay Raises

Servers say it’s difficult to get a raise at Denny’s because they earn a tipped hourly rate. Other workers report that they get a raise just about every year, totaling 1 to 3%.

It appears raises are hard to come by because most Denny’s locations are franchisee-owned.

This means it’s important to not only work hard and exceed expectations because intelligent owners know how difficult it is to find loyal, hard-working, and dependable employees. You also need to speak up when the time is right, so your management knows you expect to be rewarded for your hard work and loyalty.

Denny’s Full time hours

Denny’s full-time workers usually get at least 40 hours of work every week. The exception is the servers, who sometimes don’t quite reach 40 hours due to business being a little slow.

Denny’s Part-time Hours

Part-time workers typically get between 20 and 35 hours of work on a weekly basis. If you are looking for more hours, it’s a good idea to put the work out to your management staff, so they know you are willing to work for other employees when they call out sick.

Denny’s Shift Hours

Shift hours vary at Denny’s, depending on the location and needs of your particular store.

Here are some example shifts:

• 9 AM to 5 PM
• 10 AM to 3 PM
• 4 PM to 10 PM
• 5 PM to 10 PM
• 10PM to 5:30 AM
• 11 PM to 7:30 AM

Denny’s Sick Leave

As in most restaurants, most Denny’s locations do not offer any sick leave to hourly employees. Salaried employees are eligible for paid time off as part of their employment packages.

It’s very important to communicate with your managers when you are going to be calling out sick. This way, they can find another employee to replace you, or at least prepare themselves better for the shift.

Denny’s Break Policy

You’ll have to work it out with your managers or owners when it comes to taking short paid breaks during your shift, as well as an unpaid meal break.

Usually, during the hiring process, the interviewer will inform you of how breaks are given at your location. If not, politely ask, so that you are clear on the matter.

Featured image courtesy of Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.