Since 1958, the International House of Pancakes has maintained and perfected their breakfast brand—all centered around their classic pancake staples. But this month, they announced that IHOP will now become...IHOb?
What's the story?
The name IHOP officially became the brand's acronym in 1973, when a marketing campaign found success in shortening the name International House of Pancakes. Since then, IHOP has become synonymous with good old-fashioned breakfast, with all-stars like the Original Buttermilk pancakes and Strawberry Banana Pancakes. But as they've become more and more popular, the brand has been trying to expand beyond pancakes. And in 2014, they debuted more than 70 locations outside the United States, trying to live up to their "international" name.
Some of the later additions to the menu have become their most popular items, like the Funnel Cakes that were introduced as a limited edition offer in 2005 and quickly became a guest favorite year-round. So it's not crazy to see the company expanding their brand, but to switch it altogether? This is new.
What does IHOb stand for?
During the time between the announcement of the change (on June 5) and the reveal of the meaning of the "b" (this morning, June 11), the internet went wild. My initial guess had been that the switch from "p" to "b" was a re-branding from "pancakes" to "breakfast," but other guesses were much more creative.
The new name officially stands for "International House of Burgers," to signify that the restaurant's commitment to burgers is just as serious as its commitment to pancakes. The name change seems to be temporary, but the flagship restaurant in Hollywood, CA, has also been completely re-done (signage included) and will host the "VIB launch party" tonight.
What else has changed?
The name change has been accompanied by the introduction of a new line of "Ultimate Steakburgers," seven all-natural Angus beef burgers served on brioche buns. The flavors range from the "Big Brunch," which includes hickory-smoked bacon, a fried egg, browned potato, American cheese and an all-new signature burger sauce, to the "Cowboy BBQ," (pictured above) featuring onion rings, hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and a tangy BBQ sauce. The line's other burgers are the "Jalapeño Kick," "Mushroom & Swiss," "Classic," "Classic with Bacon," and the "Mega Monster". Each burger—starting today—is available at IHOb locations nationwide.
In order to incentivize people to try out these new menu additions, IHOb is offering the Ultimate Steakburgers with unlimited fries and a drink (only for a limited time). The deal starts at $6.99 for the Classic, and climbs up to $9.99 for the Mega Monster and Jalapeño Kick. Presumably more burgers will be added to the menu later, as long as customers continue to be excited about the additions after their novelty fades.
To be clear, the company isn't actually stopping their breakfast service, but by expanding into the burger market they hope to attract more lunch and dinner customers. The goal will remain to be a family-friendly attraction, just for more hours of the day. Only time will tell if this marketing stunt pays off beyond Twitter, but my vegetarian self will be sticking to their pancakes.