Two of America’s iconic chain eateries are set to combine forces — literally.
The parent company of IHOP and Applebee’s has announced it has begun opening dual-branded locations, combining back-of-the house cooking areas and blending front-of-the-house dining areas, though with discrete entrances.
On parent Dine Brands Global’s most recent earnings call, CEO John Peyton said the company had already rolled out eight prototypes of the concept at select international locations, the most recent one opening in León, Mexico, about four hours northwest of Mexico City.
The idea is to reduce costs while maximizing revenues by attracting customers dining at different parts of the day to the same location, Peyton said.
“At breakfast, when there are more IHOP customers, customers can be seated in the Applebee’s area and vice versa at dinner,” Peyton told Nation’s Restaurant News in a follow-up interview.
Peyton said the plan would be to “eventually” bring the concept of the U.S., without specifying a timetable.
