Today, Jan. 20, 2009, is inauguration day for the nation’s 44^th president. This is a momentous occasion, to be sure, so why is my mind still on Christmas past? I suspect you know that ideas and concepts are not always owed to intellectual vigilance; they also grow out of happenstance and, at times, from unlikely situations.

My dining experience at Denny’s on Christmas day came to mind during a recent conversation concerning progressive foodservice vendors — not a mind-bending encounter by any means but worthy of mention nonetheless. You will soon understand why.

I arrived in Phoenix, Ariz., late afternoon on Christmas Eve to spend the holiday season with my family in a nearby suburban community. I had planned to prepare my traditional brunch Christmas morning. I was, however, exhausted. The amended plan found us looking for a restaurant. All the shop windows were dark, however, except for Denny’s.

I confess that I had hoped for a more upscale eatery, after all it was Christmas morning. Back home in Illinois it could have been the likes of Walker Brothers with its gracious ambiance defined by modern décor highlighted by stained-glass windows.

Now, let me say right off, that there is nothing wrong with Denny’s décor, lest I be considered a snob. Unfortunately, I remembered the blight on Denny’s reputation in the early 1990s that tied the business to racial discrimination, which is no longer the case by the way. The corporation responsible for Denny’s entered the 21^st century transformed from a poster child concerning discrimination to a shining example of change for the better.

How Denny’s recaptured its good name after being a company in crisis is not due to a miracle or good luck, but rather to a concerted effort involving diversity training for employees and a committed determination to making inclusion and diversity part of the corporation’s business strategy.

Today Spartanburg, S.C.-based Advantica Restaurants Group, Denny’s parent company, is thriving under the leadership of its current CEO Nelson Marchioli, a former top manager at Burger King. For one thing, Denny’s earnings are up thanks to a business plan that includes less debt, new product launches, a spiffed-up menu and a reshaped restaurant image.

This is all well and good, but my focus herewith is on Denny’s exemplary customer service at the restaurant in Chandler, Ariz., on Christmas Day. First of all, the host of the day was the restaurant manager pitching in and not merely issuing orders to the waitstaff. There was not an empty seat in the place, and men, women and children kept coming.

It seems incongruous that any business operating in today’s downward spiraling economy could envision growth, let alone aggressively go after it. It is encouraging to know that there is forward movement these days. Consider the news that Denny’s has set its sights on new frontiers by boldly going where some may think is folly.