U.S. Restaurant That Erased Jensen Huang's Footprint to Restore 'NVIDIA Founding' Plaque

Plaque removed immediately after affair scandal involving former CEO Huang came to light
Company: "A historic site where NVIDIA was born... We will reinstall it"

Denny's, the U.S. restaurant where NVIDIA was conceived, has decided to reinstall a plaque commemorating NVIDIA's founding, which it removed after an affair scandal involving former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang came to light.

According to NBC and the New York Post, among other outlets, on November 14 local time, the Denny's restaurant in San Jose, California, said it would restore the plaque and photos commemorating NVIDIA's founding, which it had removed shortly after Jensen Huang's resignation.

Jensen Huang, former CEO of Nvidia. Reuters-Yonhap News.

As a young man living in Oregon, former CEO Huang began his working life at Denny's, washing dishes, clearing tables and waiting tables. When he founded NVIDIA in 1993, he and his co-founders refined their business plans at a Denny's in San Jose. The plaque had been installed above a booth in the restaurant where Huang and his co-founders discussed their business plans before founding NVIDIA.

The plaque bore the words, "The booth that launched a $1 trillion company," along with a message celebrating NVIDIA's success. Denny's unveiled it on September 26, 2023, to mark NVIDIA's market value surpassing $1 trillion, at a ceremony attended by then-CEO Kelly Ballard and former CEO Huang.

Former CEO Huang has described his experience working at Denny's as an important part of his career. His LinkedIn profile lists his work at Denny's from 1978 to 1983 alongside his experience as NVIDIA's founder and CEO.

Denny's removed the plaque shortly after controversy surrounding former CEO Huang's personal life and the announcement of his resignation as NVIDIA CEO. Employees at the restaurant said the plaque was taken down on the night of November 12, but it was not known who ordered its removal or what the specific reason was.

After the controversy arose, a Denny's corporate spokesperson issued a statement saying, "We will reinstall the plaque commemorating the conversations at Denny's that helped launch NVIDIA." The move is intended to preserve the significance of a historic site that contributed to NVIDIA's founding, apart from any assessment of former CEO Huang as an individual.

Denny's said, "We plan to reinstall the plaque commemorating the conversations at Denny's that led to the launch of NVIDIA," adding, "Jensen Huang started out washing dishes at Denny's, and years later, he gathered in a booth with his co-founders to discuss the idea that became NVIDIA." The company emphasized, "The plaque commemorates that shared history. Denny's, one of America's iconic restaurants, has long been a place where people meet and share ideas, and that history is worth preserving."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.