IHOP Introduces Wine and Beer Menu

IHOP started the pilot launch of a new menu featuring beers, wines and champagne on Thursday at locations in San Diego and New Mexico, with plans to expand after guest testing and feedback.The “Bubbles, Wine & Brews” libation menu includes Barefoot wines and Bud Light, Blue Moon, and Corona beers. It be available for dine-in service only and may include local brews in the future, according to a statement from the Glendale-based chain. The menu will appear at restaurants in New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Ohio and more in the coming months.“Our recent Drinks and Dining Survey unveiled this is the perfect time to launch our alcohol beverage menu and gauge excitement about these new offerings, as 66 percent of our recent guests and 58 percent of our younger guests (ages 21-34) have been craving an alcoholic beverage to accompany some of their IHOP favorites,” Jay Johns, president of IHOP, said in a statement. “As we continue to focus and expand on our daytime and evening menu options, adult beverages offer a terrific innovation and evolution to enjoy IHOP for every occasion.”The company said the new menu “is the latest embodiment of IHOP’s ongoing commitment to their guests’ evolving tastes and transcending beyond breakfast.”Shares of Dine Brands (DIN), the Glendale-based parent company of IHOP, closed down $1, or 1.29 percent, to $76.76 on Thursday, while the Dow closed up a fraction of a percent.