This Oregon-Based Restaurant Chain Sold More Than Half Its Locations To Denny's In The 1980s

In an era of our favorite restaurant chains failing due to rising economic pressures and changing consumer tastes, it helps to remember that the rise, fall, and consolidation of restaurants is nothing new. Take, for instance, VIP's, the Oregon-based restaurant chain that sold more than half its locations to Denny's in the 1980s. VIP's was a comforting homestyle restaurant with major diner vibes and locations across Oregon and other western states, including Washington, Nevada, Idaho, and California. But its identity as a restaurant chain was relatively short-lived compared to other long-standing establishments.

After opening the first VIP's in Tualatin, Oregon, in 1968, owners Keith Andler and Robert Smith expanded operations to what became 53 restaurants under the same parent company. VIP's held its ground among the most popular restaurant chains in the '80s, but a couple of years into the decade, the modest diner brand started to dissolve as it changed ownership. Though the exact reasoning for the sale of VIP's is not clear, newspapers from the time confirm that, in 1982, the restaurant chain sold 35 of its storefronts, including in cities like Eugene and Springfield, to Denny's, a major player in the American breakfast chain game. One can assume the deal was based on more than just stacks of pancakes, as the sale equated to approximately $12 million for the change of hands.

While some of the absolute best restaurants in cities like Portland are often small hole-in-the-walls or dive bars, the sale of VIP's to Denny's and the closure of the restaurant chain in 1989 was certainly a loss for Oregonians and other westerners alike. But even though VIP's is long gone, it's not forgotten. In a 2020 Facebook post on a group called "Forgotten Oregon," a simple photo of the closed-down restaurant chain's logo elicited an outpouring of comments, including the remembrance of favorite menu items like French dip sandwiches, mushroom burgers, and salads.

As was the case with many failed beloved restaurant chains, VIP's represented more than just the food. Other Facebook users reminisced about working at the chain in the '70s, the orange uniforms they wore on their shifts, and company Christmas parties. One user recalled that VIP's was the site of a blind date, where she met her husband. Now in 2025, more than 40 years after the sale of the restaurant chain, Denny's itself is closing many of its U.S. locations. Plates of hearty breakfast staples may be what customers initially seek at these restaurants, but what remains are the memories.