Diners Slam Denny's For Free Meal Offer

February 9, 2010 9:01 a.m. EST

Spartanburg, SC, United States (AHN) - Denny's Restaurants are once again giving away their most popular breakfast menu item, the "Grand Slam." It's free Tuesday, starting at 6 a.m.

The annual breakfast giveaway was announced publicly Sunday during Super Bowl XLIV in the form of humorous 30-second ads warning any chickens out there to take vacation time because it will be "a rough week laying eggs."

However, the free meal deal is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2010, only, and only between the hours of 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For Carol Wright of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the annual promotion is a financial relief to her and her family.

"I moved down here from Atlanta with my two kids to find work in 2008, but haven't found anything substantial. Right now I'm doing odd jobs; cleaning, working here and there and living with my sister and her children. This is the one day I don't have to worry about at least one meal, which means extra money in my pocket; money that can go towards helping to pay bills and helping out the household," Wright said.

But for Jean Louis, an employee of the Denny's in Sunrise, FL, this is the one day his job is the most stressful, but the most rewarding.

"I work the overnight shift and sometimes things get really busy, especially around 4 a.m. when drunk people come from the clubs. But today all the hassle I deal with and the snotty party girls pay off when I see whole families leaving with full stomachs and I know this is the first good meal they have had in a while. I work this day every year."

In 2009, Denny's said it fed more than 2 million Americans with the free Grand Slam promotion. The meal is made up of two pancakes, two eggs, two pieces of bacon, and two sausage links.

The restaurant is going beyond the free breakfast promotion this year, according to Denny's chief executive and president Nelson Marchioli. The company will implement numerous new programs and offers to help families in today's rough economy.