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Denny's gives up on Ashland KFC-A&W owners buy property, plan new restaurant for October By Cyrus Emerson Tidings Correspondent After three profitless years, the Ashland Denny's closed Monday in a quick move that left employees jobless. In all, 22 Denny's employees were laid off after being notified Sept. 10 that the restaurant might close. Denny's employees spend time Monday waiting outside the closed restaurant for their final paychecks. Ashland Daily Tidings/Denise Baratta The property being leased by Denny's was sold to Laura and Bill Thompson, who also own the KFC and A&W restaurants across the street. They said they will make some changes to the building and plan to open a new restaurant there next month. The decision by Denny's management to leave Ashland came fast. "The property sold, and we bought out of our lease," said Allen Cobb, Denny's regional manager. "We couldn't make it here. We never made a profit, never even close." The restaurant remained open until the sale of the property was finalized. Cardboard was placed in the window Monday that read "Closed. Out of business." Employees picked up their final paychecks after the closure. No meeting was held to explain what had happened, and some employees felt they deserved an explanation. "This leaves us all hanging. A few weeks [advance notice] would have let us plan something else. They put all of us in a real bad position," said Bev Krunglevich, a waitress at the restaurant for more than a year. She, like many other employees, depended on Denny's as her sole source of income. Now they all must find new jobs in a slumping economy. Some of the laid-off employees may get a chance to continue their employment at the 545 Clover Lane location when it reopens as Rock 'N' Rollars in October. The Thompsons said Denny's workers could pick up applications at KFC for work at the new restaurant. "We have a lapse at this time, but we are willing to [hire Denny's employees]," Laura Thompson said. Denny's will remove all corporate markings from the building, but the new restaurant will keep the "Jetson's toaster look," as Laura Thompson described it. Minor changes will be made to the inside of the building, but the theme of the restaurant will remain retro. However, the menu will be redone to accommodate Ashland's taste. "We didn't want another franchise," said Bill Thompson. "People here want a more personal touch." Rock 'N' Rollars will also abandon the 24-hour concept, serving only breakfast and lunch and specializing in soups and sandwiches. According to the new owners, a dinner menu might be added later. The closing of Denny's does not wipe 24-hour eateries off the map in Ashland. Jazbo's Lounge teams up with Off the Grid Waffles to provide round-the-clock food Wednesday through Saturday. The businesses are located in the 'A' Street Marketplace downtown and feature live music and organic food. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -