The change would be great if they don’t alienate their traditional customers. People often like to eat in groups and it’s reasonable to assume that group members may have diverse tastes. I’ve been to several steakhouses that serve fish and even vegetarian main courses. Let’s hope that the “diversity items” are as well prepared as the traditional items.

As a somewhat frequent IHOP customer, I think this is a smart move. While on one hand, yes, they could attempt to be a leader solely of breakfast foods. But on the other hand, this provides more choice, especially to busy families who want to go out to eat where one kid wants breakfast, the other wants lunch and the parents both want dinner. They can still emphasize breakfast but offer more — seems like a sound idea to me.

How sad this is. I remember the first IHOP outlets opening in Queens xx years ago. We could have pancakes any time of the day or evening. A great alternative to ice cream or burgers after the movies on a date when we were too young and innocent to hang out in bars. Actually, come to think of it, perhaps the obesity epidemic started here. Where else in the world do you go and eat a huge snack late at night to round off the evening? Sorry, I digress. My reaction is purely nostalgic but I would like to see IHOP stick to what they have always done best of all.

Interesting topic! Without the consumer input that IHOP hopefully did, I would say they may have missed an opportunity to be a real leader in the food service industry. A leader selling these core product favorites — eggs, meats, waffles/pancakes, fruit (sauces) — ANY TIME of the day. And to invent wonderful new food options that would be great alternatives to traditional LUNCH foods — for instance, a Western Omelet burrito with pancakes as the wrap. As much as one can say that IHOP has sold INDULGENT food — hence the shrimp and brie — they have also sold memories of how life was and should be. I hope they really took a good look at the indulgent BREAKFAST foods and realized how many consumers are missing these foods in their diets because of lifestyle changes. And how wonderful to still have cravings satisfied at any occasion. Firms like Kellogg’s (new ad for Special K as evening snack) supports what researcher have known for years — many traditional foodstuffs are eaten at non-conventional times of… Read more »

I admit to being an IHOP fan, but I see places like Bob Evans busy throughout the day. So there needs to be more than breakfast, and they have the base to build from…keep it simple.

IHOP, according to golden rules of brand building, has taken another dubious step. As a consultant to retail and restaurant brands, we work every day to help our clients understand the need for and to then create a proprietary brand position. When I consider the changes to IHOP over the past year, I am disheartened to see them giving up precious positioning to join the pool of competition. The breakfast business is like the pizza business in that a great majority of the dollars nationally go to local “mom & pop” shops. The national and regional competitors are few. It seems as though IHOP should have flexed its positioning muscle rather than taking strides into the center of the pool. IHOP held the advantage over their competition in terms of brand assets: their name, distinctive architecture and identity and known product. They are among the few brands in the world whose name can be used in a sitcom or other cultural device because of its wide recognition (because of its longevity and uniqueness). IHOP is… Read more »