IHOP is short for International House of Pancakes. It is an American breakfast and brunch restaurant chain with more than 1,800 restaurants worldwide renowned for its pancakes, as well as its wide variety of other breakfast and brunch dishes.
The story of the ‘giant’ of pancakes
The chain was founded in 1958 by Al Lapin, Jr., Sherwood Rosenberg, and Albert Kallis. The first IHOP restaurant opened in Toluca Lake, California on July 7, 1958.
IHOP expanded rapidly throughout the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, the company went public and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. By the late 1970s, IHOP had more than 1,000 restaurants across the country.
In the 80’s, IHOP began diversifying its menu to include dishes beyond pancakes. The company also began expanding to other countries, including Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
In the 1990s, IHOP faced competition from other breakfast restaurant chains, such as Denny’s and Waffle House. The company also experienced a decline in sales as Americans changed their eating habits.
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However, by the 2000s, IHOP began to recover. The company revamped its menu and image, focusing on offering a more casual and affordable breakfast and brunch experience.
At the moment, IHOP has more than 1,800 restaurants around the world. The company remains one of the most popular breakfast restaurant chains in the United States.
Some IHOP trivia:
- IHOP’s most popular dish is buttermilk pancakes
- IHOP serves more than 500 million pancakes a year
- The first IHOP restaurant had a capacity of 40 people
- IHOP has its own mascot, a dog named Bloated Bob
- IHOP has been featured in several movies and TV shows, including “The Simpsons,” “Friends,” and “The Big Bang Theory.”
Who owns IHOP?
IHOP was founded in 1958 by Al Lapin. However, he passed away in 2004. In this sense, the current owner of the chain is John Peyton, CEO of Dine Brands Global, a company that acquired IHOP in 2007. What do you think?
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