Denny's is a restaurant that probably holds a place in the hearts of many Americans. Okay, maybe not, but it holds a place in mine. Denny's is always there for me no matter what time of day or night it is, and no matter what day of the year it is. I had not eaten there in quite a while until Christmas Eve night arrived. Yes, I had my share of Christmas Eve gathering food -- cookies and a few little tidbits of holiday goodness, but had not had a real meal the entire day. My boyfriend and I decided to go out for a late dinner, since we rarely have more than a couple of snacks in our apartment at any given time. Grocery stores were closed; even the 24/7 Wal-Mart around the corner from us closed early on Christmas Eve. Dine-in and fast food restaurants alike were all closed in our area. What were we going to do for dinner?

Thankfully, good old Denny's was there to feed us. Denny's may not serve food that is always fresh; they may not serve food that tastes better than what I could cook at home, but gosh darn it, they are always open. When I called that evening to ask what their hours were, the woman on the other end proudly said, "24 hours a day, 365 days a year." That was news to my boyfriend's hungry ears and mine. We arrived at Denny’s and had the choice of anything on the menu, even breakfast items. How many restaurants offer breakfast, lunch and dinner items at any time of day or night? McDonald's will not even let you order an Egg McMuffin after 10:30 a.m.

Denny's: you may not have the best cuisine, but you have food that is edible. Most importantly, you are always open, even on holidays when every other restaurant and grocery store is closed. For that, I thank you.