Two Major Restaurants Will Start Merging in Early 2025

It happened with fast food giants Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Whether you drive through or dine inside, you can order from both menus at the many Taco Bell-KFC combos around the country.

Now, we’ll soon be able to do the same with Applebee’s Bar + Grill and IHOP, which is actually the International House of Pancakes (which nobody says).

Should we call it AppleHop or HopBee’s? To each his or her own, I guess.

Here’s the deal on this talk of the dining world. According to CBS, both major chains have one parent, so to speak. Dine Brands Inc. owns both restaurants and plans to blend while still offering each menu.

Basically, the plan is two different entrances into the same restaurant. Whether you enter through the Applebee’s door or the IHOP door, the same back-of-house and kitchen will be making your meals.

As a matter of fact, the concept is already being tested according to CBS in Leon, Mexico, among other international cities. This dual-branded concept will actually make twice as much money as the traditional, standalone locations because they cater breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night eating.

You can sit on either side and order off both menus, too, according to Nation’s Restaurant News website. While Applebee’s doesn’t do breakfast, you can still sit on that side and order IHOP during that time if the IHOP side is filled up.  It’s about efficiency for diners as well, according to USA Today, and the goal is to launch the first few hybrid chains any time now in early 2025, probably starting in Texas.

Urban, suburban, small college towns, it’s all open according to the first combo Applebee’s and IHOP restaurant because these chains do well everywhere according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

As for a name change? Nope, both signs will be in front, and branding will stay the same for the most part.