The International House of Pancakes has undergone a name change.
The company is now known as The International House of Burgers — at least for now.
via NYDN:
IHOP announced Monday that its new name, “IHOb,” would be around “for the time being” while the chain promotes its new menu items: A selection of burgers so epic — so they advertise — that it warranted a name change.
“Burgers are a quintessential, American menu item so it makes perfect sense that IHOP, one of the most iconic, all-American comfort-food brands in the world, would go over the top to create a delicious line-up of quality burgers that hit the spot any time of day,” Chef Nevielle Panthaky, Head of Culinary at IHOb said in a statement.
Among the seven new “Ultimate Steakburger” options is the Big Brunch burger, complete with fried egg, hickory-smoked bacon and crispy browned potatoes. Yet IHOP somehow missed the opportunity to add a Bellini to sip alongside it.
Burgers have been offered by IHOP in the past — including sliders — but this is the first time the eatery unrolled an entire campaign dedicated to them.
But it doesn’t appear as if the chain’s pancakes are going anywhere. The rest of the restaurant’s listings remain the same and the section of its online menu promoting the burgers lists them as a “limited time offer.”
IHOP is the latest food chain to veer away from what it’s known for in an attempt to draw more people with different tastes. Starbucks announced a spread of lunchtime items last year to attract crowds past the morning coffee rush and KFC said this month a fried vegetarian option will be tested out in some markets.
“The big opportunity for the IHOb brand is to develop our lunch and dinner business,” Chief Marketing Officer Brad Haley told USA Today. “The whole goal of this effort was to convince people that we were just as serious about our burgers as we are about our pancakes.”
Many IHOP loyalists, however, very strongly disagree — with critics calling the announcement “awful” and an “epic fail.”
No one asked for IHOP to make burgers.
Dear Internet, we abbreciate your batience. Now let’s see who guessed right. B-hold!!!!! #IHOb pic.twitter.com/Fh3SkZ7s3Y
— IHOP (@IHOP) June 11, 2018
