Entrepreneur & Innovation Luncheon

Thursday, October 26, 2023
Mays Family Center at The Witte Museum

Dawn Lafreeda started her career with Denny’s Restaurants in Southern California at age 16, making her way from hostess to waitress. At 19, she took a second job at a small software company, where she learned about business, accounting, computers, sales and running a small company.

Working her way up from waiting tables and selling software, she made her dream of owning her own business come true in 1984 when she was only 23. Her break into business came when Denny’s Corporation was looking to unload a low producing Non-Denny’s restaurant in Globe, Arizona. She partnered with a friend, got a small loan from her mother, used her saved tips, took cash off credit cards and took a giant leap of faith to open her first restaurant.

A year and a half later, when oil went bust in Texas, Lafreeda got another opportunity, this time it was to purchase four ailing Denny’s restaurants in West Texas. Eventually she purchased a franchise in San Antonio, bought out her partner and started to build an empire. Over the years she has owned over 115 restaurants. She currently owns 81 Denny’s, operates in 7 states and employs over 2,500 people. She is the largest single-owner franchisee within Denny’s and is the largest female restaurant franchisee in all of America.

Dawn is very involved with the Denny’s Franchisee Association where she serves as a Director and Treasurer of the Board. She also serves on several committees for Denny”s, including its Development Brand Advisory Council, Steering Committee, Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and others.

During her career, Lafreeda has been featured in countless radio interviews, podcasts, and publications, such as Entrepreneur, Food and Drink International, San Antonio Woman and Multi Unit Franchisee, among others. She has been involved and vocal in her support of tip credit for food servers and was featured in the Wall Street Journal and in an informational video made for the restaurant industry. In Dec. of 2019 Dawn was featured in the Wall Street Journal in a story called “Women Flock To Franchising. In 2020 Dawn was named San Antonio Woman of the Year by SA Monthly Magazine.

Dawn has done several various training and other videos for Denny’s Corporate as well as a pilot for The Food Network called “Food Tycoons”. As a successful business owner, Dawn was asked to film 3 seasons of a web series for Entrepreneur called “Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch” which premiered in the fall of 2017 and had over 40 million views. The show provided entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their idea to a board of successful investors who will help them take their business to the next level. Most recently Dawn was featured in the documentary “Show Her The Money” on women and funding which will be released in early summer of 2023.

She has received numerous business and service awards, including Working Woman 500’s Largest Women Owned Businesses in the Country, Denny’s Operator of the Year, The Presidential Leadership Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters, Denny’s Developer of the Year, The Anchor Award from Equality Texas, The 2019 NAWBO Woman Business Owner of the Year, The Equality Award from The Human Rights Campaign, Denny’s Presidents Award and most recently 2022 Dress For Success, Your Hour Her Power Honoree, among others. Dawn cites her humble beginnings as part of her inspiration for giving back supporting the Human Rights Campaign, Family Equality Council, Equality Texas, Special Olympics, Haven for Hope, Dress for Success, No Kid Hungry and numerous other organizations.

Dawn is the largest female employer in San Antonio as well as one of San Antonio’s largest private owned companies. Dawn’s proudest honor is mom to her 19-year-old twin sons, Cruise and Connor who are TMI Alumni and currently Freshman at The University of Southern California.

Volunteer for TMI Special Events