DineEquity, Inc. parent company of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP Restaurants, announced that IHOP, the iconic brand famous the world over for bringing its guests "everything they love about breakfastSM" is opening its first airport location October 1 at the world's busiest passenger airport, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The "IHOP Express" is run by franchisee Global Concessions, Inc. an experienced operator of airport as well as traditional restaurants. It will be open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and serve a wide variety of menu items, including the classic IHOP favorites, to the more than 90 million domestic and international travelers who pass through the airport every year, as well as the more than 60,000 airport workers and members of the local community.
Located in the Main Terminal Food Court before the security checkpoints, the "IHOP Express" will be accessible to everyone. "IHOP Express" is approximately 3,000 square feet with a seating capacity for 120 guests. In addition to sit down service, the "IHOP Express" features a "Grab and Go" section, where guests can purchase some of their favorite IHOP menu items to enjoy during their flight. This location will also serve a selection of beer and wine, as well as provide a place for guests to store their luggage while they dine.
"While we have been looking to enter what we think will be an extremely lucrative market with great visibility for our internationally known brand, we needed both the right location and the right franchisee," says Julia Stewart, interim president of International House of Pancakes as well as chairman and CEO of its parent company, DineEquity Inc. "With this 'IHOP Express' we've found both. We are proud to be part of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, and Terry Harps and Global Concessions, Inc. bring the perfect combination of experience in this type of venue as well as a shared commitment to excellence in operations and cuisine that our guests expect–and deserve–when they visit any IHOP restaurant."
"This 'IHOP Express' marks an important step in our continued expansion into non-traditional venues like airports and colleges," Stewart says. "While we are starting at the top with the world's busiest airport, we hope this will be the first of many airport locations to come, throughout the country and around the world."
"It has been a pleasure working with my colleagues at IHOP. We are delighted to have this opportunity to bring one of the world's most recognizable and beloved brands to this airport and to provide all our guests the great service, value and classic menu items that have made IHOP famous for more than 55 years," said Terry Harps, President, Global Concessions, Inc. "Together, we designed a modern, yet very comfortable and accessible restaurant," he continued, "one that we're sure will serve as a gathering place for friends and associates meeting before they depart or when they arrive from their flight, as well as a gathering place for airport workers and the local community."
"We're pleased to be able to add another terrific option to the diverse array of dining choices at the world's busiest airport," says Louis Miller, general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson. "IHOP is one of the country's truly iconic restaurant brands, and it's exciting to be able to offer this to travelers in the atrium of the Airport's domestic terminal."
