Expansion News: Houlihan's, IHOP

Leawood, Kansas-Houlihan's Restaurants, parent of 78 casual-dining units, signed a franchise development agreement with TAOH Inc. of Barrrington, Illinois, to open eight units in the next four years.

TAOH principals Mike Assad and George Wight also are franchisees of International Dairy Queen and Sierra Suites hotels. The company's territory for Houlihan's includes the Chicago suburbs of Barrington, Crystal Lake, Vernon Hills, Naperville, Glendale Heights, Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates and Lake Zurich. -Nation's Restaurant News

Glendale, California-IHOP Corp., parent of 1,164 family-dining units, said it had signed four development deals to open 28 new restaurants over then next two to 10 years, in Indiana, Georgia, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. -Nation's Restaurant News