https://www.npr.org/2018/06/11/618844977/ihop-becomes-ihob-the-international-house-of-burgers (https://www.npr.org/2018/06/11/618844977/ihop-becomes-ihob-the-international-house-of-burgers)
Quote"Dear Internet, we abbreciate your batience," the company said on Monday.
Picking up on the company's tricks, when one Twitter user said on Monday, "Your marketing team needs to be fired...ASAP," another simply replied, "ASAB."
:DD
hahahaha - that's awesome.
now we wait to see what the Wendy's twitter folks do with this
I saw them rolling out their new burgers on either Fox or CNN this morning (can't recall which, I wasn't really awake at the time).
The burgers did look decent anyway. Quite Five Guys-ian.
The marketing side of my brain says this whiffs of desperation, though. It substantially fails the rules of (market) "positioning". They should have first promoted their burger line for a year or two in-store, and built up positioning among their established fanbase, perhaps picked up new fans by associative word of mouth.
THEN, if success was significant, change the brand -- on which they already had good position, not incidentally.
I can be sure this didn't happen, though, or it wouldn't have taken everyone by surprise. International House of Breakfast (more than pancakes) makes sense and builds on the established position. International House of Burgers is "wha, wait am I really awake yet or is this another stupid dream?!" ??? ??? ???
I mean, I don't want them to fail, not least because I like IHOP (and they've said they aren't going to change their menu, just add to it). Maybe they were already in a death slide (for whatever reasons) and this is their last-minute Hail Mary. I hope it works for their sake. <:-)
DineEquity is IHOP parent organization (also owns Applebees). 1st half 2017 results:
Second Quarter 2017 Summary
-- GAAP EPS of $1.18
-- Adjusted EPS (Non-GAAP) of $1.30
-- Domestic system-wide comparable same-restaurant sales declined 2.6% at IHOP and declined 6.2% at Applebee's
First Six Months of Fiscal 2017 Summary
-- GAAP EPS of $1.98
-- Adjusted EPS (Non-GAAP) of $2.51
-- Domestic system-wide comparable same-restaurant sales declined 2.1% at IHOP and declined 7.0% at Applebee's
-- Generated cash from operating activities of approximately $20.9 million and adjusted free cash flow (Non-GAAP) of approximately $19.2 million
Does sound very risky to roll out burgers and change name before finding out if anyone bites.
Huh. I just thought this was a stupid Internet joke.
My wife and I actually went to IHOP last night. I guess we can say that we were there on IHOP's last night. Maybe I should have saved my placemat as a collector's item.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on June 11, 2018, 09:57:54 AM
now we wait to see what the Wendy's twitter folks do with this
wait no longer
https://twitter.com/Wendys/status/1006198612349673473
(https://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/5b4566467a2fdeb602ed704531a46b7ewtmk.jpg?quality=85&strip=info&w=600)
If all else fails, they can later become "IHO BGYN" :DD
I'm disappointed at Wendy's response. #:-) Since IHOP isn't giving up on pancakes, the joke is a total miss.
Also, those burgers looked pretty dang legit.
A better joke would be something like "Deciding to level up on where we've been for 50 years? Good luck!"
Guess I haven't been to IHOP in a while...but I thought they had sandwiches and burgers on their menu already. Guess not.
I think Waffle House does but I've never been in there sober. :-"
I have been to exactly one Waffle House and they refused to serve me.
IHOP has always had burgers. Not sure why they are deciding to highlight them now with so much competition...almost seems like a New Coke move.
Quote from: Gusington on June 12, 2018, 07:01:40 PM
I have been to exactly one Waffle House and they refused to serve me.
...
That's because Waffle House is always sober.
Is it good?
Quote from: Gusington on June 12, 2018, 07:01:40 PM
they refused to serve me.
Were you past your 'serve by' date?
To be perfectly honest...it was because of racism, pure and simple.
Quote from: Gusington on June 12, 2018, 07:35:29 PM
To be perfectly honest...it was because of racism, pure and simple.
Not tall enough to reach the counter to order and no one would get you a stool?
"Stool"
snicker
Quote from: Gusington on June 12, 2018, 07:35:29 PM
To be perfectly honest...it was because of racism, pure and simple.
That is messed up. >:(
The one Waffle House I ever went in to was gross. Never been to another one. Always look for Cracker Barrel.
Cracker Barrel in NJ sucks. I would advise against it.
Waffle House coffee at 3am when you are driving cross country is great. Beyond that I wouldn't really know.
This seems another dumb thing in a year already filled to the brim with dumb things.
Good gravy.
Thank you 'Wing. I would feel worse about it if the food was beloved but you guys don't really sound too enthusiastic. So f'em.
Hey, let's step away from the thing we're known for and hop into a very crowded pool where we have no brand recognition! This plan can't possibly fail!
I love it when a plan comes together.
Quote from: Gusington on June 13, 2018, 12:47:04 PM
Thank you 'Wing. I would feel worse about it if the food was beloved but you guys don't really sound too enthusiastic. So f'em.
Actually I love Waffle House, and I always have (though as noted the cleanliness varies. Largely due to the clientele, which tends to be outdoor-work guys on the road.) One of the few benefits of my first job out of college, was that it had a WH next door where we could get waffles and ham for a waffle-ham sandwich every night! :smitten:
Naturally, Cracker Barrel is superior in every way. Arguably IHOP, too.
Quote from: Staggerwing on June 12, 2018, 09:40:36 PM
Quote from: Gusington on June 12, 2018, 07:35:29 PM
To be perfectly honest...it was because of racism, pure and simple.
That is messed up. >:(
Agreed. I don't understand that, but WH employees tend to be on the rougher end of the social scale so maybe that explains it. >:(
For some folks, being in the south means grits for breakfast.
Maybe IHOP should have been more inclusive and changed their name to International House of Grits?
IHOG?
If it took off, the competition would be intense. A new firm could arise, the Universal House of Grits.
The ad campaigns could tout the advantage of IHOG versus UHOG.
I've lived south of the Mason-Dixon Line for probably 90% of my life and I've never had to deal with grits. Maybe once my grandmother made it and I recall thinking, "eh, what's the big deal?"
Now, my grandmother...hoo boy did she LOVE grits.
I love grits IF they're cooked right. The wife and I went to Gatlinburg, Tenn. and they have Shoney's there with 'all you can eat' the breakfast bar with grits done right. O0 And everything else in abundance also breakfast-wise. :clap:
Not many Shoneys left!
I love Quaker instant grits, which are (oddly) better than the not-instant grits. Grew up eating grits and eggs and bacon for breakfast every morning. Mom still makes breakfast for dinner sometimes, always includes in the grits!
STOP IT! You're making me drool all over my keyboard.
Perhaps a special variant? IHOGG?
International House of Groggy Grits?
(https://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i-w600/keep-calm-and-kiss-my-grits.jpg)
If the grits are good, I'd eat them even if I had to eat them off Flo's...... no, nevermind. I would NEVER go that far.
If they really wanted to get me to eat there the should have renamed them Howard Johnson's and brought back all-you-can-eat fried clam night. :bd:
The wife and I were just in Gatlinburg, Tenn. and I had the best Catfish Bites I ever ate at "Howard's Famous Steakhouse". That man knows his catfish. :smitten:
Quote from: Sir Slash on June 26, 2018, 09:44:24 PM
The wife and I were just in Gatlinburg, Tenn. and I had the best Catfish Bites I ever ate at "Howard's Famous Steakhouse". That man knows his catfish. :smitten:
T'aint no such thing as 'cafish bites'.What them there folks in Gatlinburg call 'catfish bites' is actually called lamb fries. :-"
Mine had whiskers on it. Do lambs have whiskers?