GLENDALE, Calif. — IHOP Restaurants and TravelCenters of America Wednesday said the two companies have entered into a franchise development agreement and plan to open up to 94 IHOP restaurants over the next five years in TA and Petro branded locations across the United States.
Currently, there are four IHOP restaurants already in TA’s travel center network, including one that opened this week in Jackson, Georgia, near Atlanta. The other three are located Greenville, Tennessee, Lexington, Virginia, and Oakley, Kansas.
The agreement, which pairs two of the world’s most recognizable brands in foodservice and interstate travel, fulfills their joint commitment to bring guests quality meal choices and exceptional service while on the go, said Barry Richards, president and chief operating officer at TravelCenters of America.
The IHOP restaurants in the portfolio will be operated by the TA Restaurant Group, a division of TravelCenters of America.
Guests visiting IHOP restaurants located at TA travel centers will be able to enjoy the brand’s full menu of made-to-order items, such as its world-famous Buttermilk pancakes, oversized omelets, Ultimate Steakburgers, Crispy Chicken and more, according to Jay Johns, president of IHOP.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with TravelCenters of America to open up to almost 100 new IHOP restaurants over the next five years in TA and Petro travel centers across the U.S.,” Johns said. “The TA brand, a trusted hospitality leader in the industry and with consumers, shares the same values as IHOP when it comes to delivering an outstanding experience to guests on-the-go. We’re looking forward to serving the great-tasting, freshly made menu items we’re known for at breakfast, lunch and dinner, to the millions of guests who stop at TA and Petro locations each year.”
“When it comes to serving our customers, IHOP and TA’s missions and cultures align,” Richards said. “Adding such a highly regarded brand like IHOP to our restaurant group shows our commitment to bringing the best possible dining options to both professional drivers while they’re away from home and to local families living in the communities we serve. An important part of our restaurant strategy is focusing on growing our partnerships with trusted brands like IHOP that appeal to broader audiences, and today’s agreement will enable us to accelerate that process.”
The deal with TravelCenters of America marks the single largest IHOP development deal in the brand’s 61-year history.
New restaurant development is one of three key strategies in IHOP’s aggressive growth plan, which also includes to-go and lunch/dinner expansion as major areas of focus. Currently there are more than 1,700 IHOP restaurants in the U.S. and another 100-plus restaurants globally.
TravelCenters has more than 21,000 employees in more than 260 locations in 44 states and Canada. It operates nearly 650 full-service and quick-service restaurants in those locations.
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