IHOP Cafe – Concept Shop

Late last year in San Antonio, IHOP quietly opened their concept shop, the IHOP Cafe. Within the clean new walls, customers can order from a menu that includes silver dollar pancakes, wraps, sandwich melts, plus coffee, smoothies and milkshakes – a seemingly slimmer selection than found at a full-service IHOP restaurant, but a new IHOP look nonetheless.

Apparently, IHOP had the idea for a smaller-format store in the works for several years prior, and though this shop is operating under a licensing agreement, there has been no additional information made public regarding additional shops or long-term plans for the project. This new “fast-casual” restaurant is attempting to get IHOP into a new share of the dining industry, a share run by heavyweights Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread Co. The idea seems novel, and if done correctly, this new IHOP Cafe could even take a piece of Starbucks’ dwindling stronghold on the industry.