Patrick Moran

America is suffering from an obesity problem. The Surgeon General called it an epidemic -- two out of three Americans are overweight or obese. But the trend of healthier eating is gradually taking hold of the American diet. For the past decade or so, restaurants have been eager to populate their menus with items that are low carb, low cal, low fat, and low sodium. Back in July 2011 for instance, 1,500 restaurants including 19 popular fast food chains announced healthier menus for kids –a smart marketing move. Denny’s is part of that multi-restaurant campaign and the idea is to start the kids out early about making the better nutritional choices.

But wait… What about healthy food items for the adults?

While I’m sure that Denny’s has a few items that are healthy, it is their latest menu addition that has people raising eyebrows. Enter the Mac & Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt. It Debuted at Denny’s restaurants nationwide in September 2011. This bad boy has 1,690 calories putting KFC’s Double Down sandwich to shame, calorie-wise. The Big Daddy has 2,010 milligrams of sodium and 99 grams of fat. Denny’s has no qualms about posting the nutritional value, or lack thereof, for this culinary gut-bomb. To imagine what it looks like, picture a sandwich, with a hamburger patty, Mac & Cheese, melted cheddar cheese, a concoction called Frisco sauce, all in between pieces of grilled potato bread. Oh, and I almost forgot; it comes with a side order of French fries.

So what’s the big idea! Is there a market for this thing? Sadly, yes. Remember what the Surgeon General said about the number of overweight Americans? This new menu item may be something to frown upon but what it says about Denny’s is that their menu items appeal to a vast range of target segments, the baby boomers and seniors, kids, parents, the health conscious, and the not so healthy. This sandwich might even appeal to those who compulsively turn to food when they need to quell the economic downturn blues.

Will you be trying the Mac & Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal