IHOP opened its first post-security airport location, an IHOP Express, at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport in Terminal E. The opening is part of the brand’s growth strategy to open more restaurants, including smaller prototypes in nontraditional locations.
IHOP Express franchisee D&B Mitchell Group added location-specific features, including a coffee bar with specialty drinks like espresso and lattes; grab-and-go hot items including burritos and bowls; and a full bar with beer, wine and cocktails.
“The opening of IHOP Express at DFW Airport demonstrates our commitment to being where our guests are today, and where they want us to be in the future,” said Darren Rebelez, President, IHOP. “We continue to build on, refine and enhance all areas of the business that have made IHOP a leader in family dining, including expanding our total number of restaurants and introducing new formats that meet guest needs.”
The IHOP Express at DFW offers many of the brand’s signature menu items, including pancakes, 24 hours a day for dining in or taking out. Most made-to-order items are ready in 7 minutes or less.
By the end of 2017, IHOP expects to have opened 80 to 95 new restaurants, with the majority of the locations being in the U.S. The restaurant chain also added to its global portfolio this year, launching concepts in Thailand, Lebanon, and India. Additionally, the entire IHOP system is undergoing a design transformation — the most robust remodel program in the brand's history, per a company release. By the end of 2018, the company projects approximately 1,000 IHOP restaurants will showcase the new image and it expects the entire system to sport this new design by the end of 2020. The remodel program will cost nearly $200 million, per company estimates, includes technology enhancements to support the in-restaurant and IHOP 'N GO dining experience.
Founded in 1958, there are currently more than 1,750 IHOP restaurants around the world, all franchise owned and operated.