Why Denny's Is Begging You To 'Bring Your Bestie To Work'

Most businesses frown on bringing a friend to work. They worry that you're going to be too busy hanging out or shooting the breeze than getting any "real work" done. While you can argue that you do better with a friend here or make some sort of comparison between how much better your friend is to work with than any of your co-workers, chances are those excuses aren't going to fly. Denny's, on the other hand, is openly encouraging workers to bring their friends to work to see the magic of working in America's diner.

According to Nation's Restaurant News, Denny's encourages its workers to "bring their bestie" to work — literally. As part of the "Friendployees" campaign, employees were told to encourage their best friend to apply for a job at Denny's and enjoy the "friend-friendly" environment that Denny's supposedly has. Employees wouldn't just get to work with their best friend, but also have a chance to win an all-expense paid trip for two to any destination in the United States if they apply alongside a friend (via PR Newswire). 

But why did Denny's suddenly lean into the idea of making work all about being with your friend? While a good work environment of people whom you get along with it is always a selling point, why try to make a local Denny's sound like it's the hippest place to hang out with your pals?

As it would turn out, Denny's isn't just trying to make its kitchens party central for you and your buds, but instead focusing on recovering from the recent labor crisis and lack of workers. According to The Takeout, there is a wide variety of reasons as to why many employees in the service sector weren't exactly eager to go back to work. So Denny's, in need of employees in order to get back to its previous 24/7 operation, quickly began a variety of stunts to try and lure employees old and new back to work. This included a cross-country tour from Oklahoma to California (via Nation's Restaurant News) and, of course, its "#Friendployee" marketing show. After all, why not try to keep your old employees by letting them work with their friends?

But did the "#Friendployee" scheme actually work? Did people meet it with curious excitement or did they pass it off as another desperate marketing stunt? Comments on the Instagram post seem to imply that reactions were a mixed bag. "Just say ur desperate and go...." said one user. "Bring back the fried cheese melt and maybe I'll apply," another stated on a separate post.

This isn't the first time a company has tried unorthodox or extreme methods to get employees back during the so-called "Great Resignation." Some businesses are even calling applicants from years ago to see if they're still interested in working for them.