IHOP to Debut Fast Casual Concept in Early 2020

Glendale restaurant operator Dine Brands Global Inc. announced Wednesday plans to launch a new fast-casual concept called Flip’d by IHOP in spring of 2020. As the name suggests, Flip’d is an offshoot of IHOP and will offer similar breakfast items to the sit-down chain in a faster and more portable format. It will sell pancake bowls and egg sandwiches tailored for a working or on-the-go consumer base. “In looking at what exists today in terms of fresh, fast menu options — particularly at breakfast — there’s still tremendous opportunity for growth,” said IHOP President Jay Johns in a statement. The first Flip’d location is planned to open in Atlanta in April, with additional sites in New York City, Denver, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. in the works. The announcement did not mention whether Flip’d will come to the L.A. market next year. New restaurant development seems a core focus for Dine Brands, especially in its management of IHOP. In October, the company signed its biggest franchise development deal ever to put 94 IHOP locations in TA- and Petro-branded travel stops along interstate freeways over the next five years. And throughout 2019, it signed several contracts that will see a combined 76 IHOP restaurants built in foreign markets, particularly Canada, Latin America and the Middle East.