Denny's to Come to College Park
The former Varsity Grille building has a new tenant—the 24-hour breakfast specialty franchise.
Photos
The former Varsity Grille building, known for its trivia and live music nights, will soon be the place to find breakfast at any hour of the day.
Denny’s recently signed a lease to renovate and occupy 8424 Baltimore Ave., next to Taco Bell, said Michael Stiefvater, the city’s economic development coordinator. The franchise restaurant is expected to open by the end of this year or the start of 2013, he said.
The building sat vacant since the Varsity Grille closed in January 2010, when the property came under contract by a developer who intended to construct high-rise student housing, said Jim McGinnis of Restaurant Brokers and Developers, Inc.
But while new off-campus student housing, like the Varsity, shot up along U.S. Route 1, the one-story burnt orange and blue building remained.
“The landlord came back to us and said, ‘Look, the deal fell apart,’” McGinnis said, and the search for a new tenant to fill the empty space began.
With all the other student high rises nearby, McGinnis thinks the location is prime real estate for the 24-hour restaurant.
“Students nowadays are kind of nocturnal,” he said.
University of Maryland senior Sam Egly said that she loves Denny's, because it's cheap and open 24 hours.
But Denny's joins other breakfast specialty restaurants in College Park that offer extended hours. IHOP and Plato's Diner are both open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays, and College Park Diner is open all day every day.
Egly thinks Denny's is different enough from the diners that they won’t directly compete, and—"the IHOP is way too far away," said Egly, who lives in the nearby View apartment complex.
In This article
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IHOP
9680 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD -
Plato's Diner
7150 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD -
College Park Diner
9206 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD -
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University of Maryland, College Park
4321 Hartwick Rd, College Park, MD
Nick
8:46 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Great... so College Park is a Denny's town and not a Whole Foods town?
Clay Gump
10:40 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
A Denny's in that location will crush it. (and by crush it I mean it will do very very well.)
Joe
11:53 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wonder if this was coordinated in any way with the closing of the Denny's in Greenbelt (http://greenbelt.patch.com/articles/denny-s-closes-in-greenway-center). As a Greenbelt resident, I say: College Park is welcome to it!
Adelphi Sky
12:00 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Come on College Park. You can do better. Dennys? Couldn't get a Cracker Barrel? They like to locate near interstates. Clay, you talk about crush. Oh well. On to the next FAIL.
Terp
1:29 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Why is it that some people are never happy? This has been vacant for 2 years. I think it will fill a void in College Park. Cracker Barrell needs like 10,000 square feet and they need to be seen from the Interstate. I know that we expect higher brands in the market place but there are restrictions for some of the users you want. Such as a certain household income requirements, nearby offices, etc. You never know what national chains require. I am happy to have them. Now, get someone in Lasick's, old Arby's, old Brass Latern, old Koons Ford, etc, etc, etc.
Adelphi Sky
2:01 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I don't think people are never happy. It's DENNYS. Panera Bread servers breakfast and includes wifi! Aesome for a college town. But Dennys? It's great that the property will not be vacatn anymore, but there is a direction you would like the town to take as far as local retailers and national chains. I don't think Dennys is part of that direction. But alas, at least it's not another chinese carryout.
Shannon Hoffman
1:48 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Just an interesting note I didn't include this in this story... Mr. McGinnis said that if the structure was demolished and replaced, then the replacement structure would have to be multiple stories high, according to the overlay zone rules. So if whatever was to move in there wanted to stay one story, it would have to renovate the existing building.
Terp
2:23 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Adelphi,
Denny's has wifi! Their new stores have them. I think Shannon is right; if that buliding is torn down, new zoning requirements kick in.
Adelphi Sky
2:25 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Terp,
Then let us hope she gets torn down.
Terp
2:36 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Adelphi,
What does that mean? You would prefer a vacant piece of land than a business serving the community? Or is it that you would want to have someone develop the property with a restaurant or something else? It all comes down to economics; the cost to use the existing structure, which I think they are going to do, and renovate the building or tearing down & having to go through the County and probably a detailed site plan which could take 2 years. So, you would prefer to just have a vacant property? Along with all of the other vacant properties along Rt.1. I would prefer a viable business. One that is clean & run well. That is what is going to help the town.
John Payne
3:46 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Denny's is better than an empty building. That said . . . .
Adelphi Sky
4:11 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Okay then, so is Popeyes, another Subway, how about another liquor store? Let's add a Wendy's while we're at it. I thought the point was to encourage a unique college town? What happened to more local non-chain businesses? Now we're so desperate that we take anything we can get? Places like Plato's Diner, Azteca, Looneys, etc, gives College Park it's own unique character. My wife and I visit Boone, NC on an annual basis and it's sad that a town as small as that with Appalachian State has a main street that put's Rt. 1 to shame. Very few chains if at all. Boutique restaurants and little shops all on a walkable main street. UNC Chapel Hill also comes to mind. As close as College Park is to D.C.as a major metro, they can't find ANY local proprietor willing to do business in College Park? I think Terrapin Turf is an excellent example of a win for the uniqueness of College Park.
Pat Cavanagh
5:26 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Denny's has to be open 24 hours; it takes that long to be served.
Jenni Pompi
5:32 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I think it would have been nice to have something other than a chain, but I will be happy to see a vacant storefront on Rt. 1 occupied.
Does anyone remember that brick oven pizza place that was on Rt. 1 several years ago, Lara Panini I think it was? It was so delicious. We were so sad that it closed down. I keep hoping it will come back.
Lexus J
10:06 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I think you are all too pc and dancing around what we really think. The blacks will flock to this Denny's. Will it cause crime and other problems, not sure - but lets just call it as we see it and not be afraid to state the facts.
PatchedUp
12:40 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
Speak for yourself. Your view is yours, not mine or anyone else's.
John Bender
6:56 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
Do you think I'd speak for you? I don't even know your language.
John Bender
8:47 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
Its like the saying goes, where there is smoke there is fire. When you bring criminals into an area there will be issues. I think the original poster was spot on in the analysis. If I lived in the area I'd be scared and upset. You want to see diversity? Dont go to the cp ihop. Weird?
Nick
12:49 pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012
This is really about the direction College Park and its neighbors are heading. Progress means improved grocery options, improved restaurant options, and improved propery values. What our local politicians have given us are impediments to growth, low-end chain restaurants, and a total collapse of property values.
Pachacutec
9:17 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
As far as I'm concerned, I'll stick with Platos and everyone else can have Dennys' I don't care for chain restaurants, anyhow, and Platos has a great variety of food (I LOVE the stuffed grapevine leaves!)
Adelphi Sky
9:57 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
My wife and I love Platos to. We just ate there yesterday. I won't be going to Denny's either.
Pachacutec
10:29 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
Adelphi Sky, I like your comment about making a unique town; I guess some people like to have the same food no matter where they are in the US (or other countries!), but I for one like the regional restaurants, the Mom and Pop places, the restaurants and stores that make an area one-of-a-kind. I mean, you don't see eateries like Dennys and Applebees' on "Diners, Drive ins, and Dives," or other food shows!
Adelphi Sky
3:38 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
College Park needs to take a cue from Hyattsville. Spice 6 opened today. Talk about unique, the only other Spice 6 is in London! :-)
Jenni Pompi
3:39 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I've been waiting for Spice 6 to open up! Exciting!
Roger
3:15 am on Saturday, June 23, 2012
You college kids are a bunch of jar heads always complaining when you really should be happy there will be a new Denny's. What you seem to fail to realize is that this will be a franchise and probably someone local will own this establishment so I hope you treat the people with respect. After all jobs are hard to come by. I for one like Denny's food and was saddened when I heard the one in Greenbelt was closed.