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FORM 10 - K ✔ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 30 , 2020 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number 0-18051 Title of each class $ .01 Par Value , Common Stock Delaware ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) Denny's DENNY'S CORPORATION ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) 203 East Main Street Spartanburg , South Carolina ( Address of principal executive offices ) ☐ Registrant's telephone number , including area code ( 864 ) 597-8000 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) DENN Accelerated filer Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No 13-3487402 Non - accelerated filer ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( §232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes No ☐ 29319-9966 ( Zip Code ) Name of each exchange on which registered The Nasdaq Stock Market Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of “ large accelerated filer , ” “ accelerated filer , ” “ smaller reporting company ” and “ emerging growth company ” in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Large accelerated filer Smaller reporting company No No Emerging growth company ☐ If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No The aggregate market value of the voting and non - voting common stock held by non - affiliates of the registrant was $ 434,684,492 as of June 24 , 2020 , the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter , based upon the closing sales price of the registrant's common stock on that date of $ 10.42 per share and , for purposes of this computation only , the assumption that all of the registrant's directors , executive officers and beneficial owners of 10 % or more of the registrant's common stock are affiliates . As of February 25 , 2021 , 64,144,845 shares of the registrant's common stock , $ .01 par value per share , were outstanding . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE : Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10 - K .