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2024 Franchise 500 Rank
#19 Not ranked last year
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Initial investment
$1.8M - $4.4M
Units as of 2024
1,815 Increase 6.0% over 3 years

Company Overview

In 1958, Al Lapin opened the first International House of Pancakes in Toluca Lake, California. The restaurant, whose menu was originally based on pancakes, quickly grew in popularity and by 1962 there were 50 IHOP locations.

Through the years, a number of items were added to the menu, and today IHOP has a full lunch and dinner menu, offering favorites such as hamburgers, salads and pastas. The breakfast menu, which is served any time, also grew and now includes waffles, French toast and omelets.

The company has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ as part of Dine Brands Global Inc. (DIN), which also operates Applebee's and Fuzzy's Taco Shop. Today there are approximately 1,800 franchised IHOP restaurants around the world.

About IHOP

Industry Food
Related Categories Breakfast/Brunch Restaurants, Miscellaneous Full-Service Restaurants
Founded 1958
Parent Company Dine Brands
Leadership Jay Johns, President
Corporate Address 10 W. Walnut St.
Pasadena, CA 91103
Social Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since 1960 (64 years)
# of employees at HQ 595
Where seeking

This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.

This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Asia, Middle East, Canada, South America, Mexico

# of Units 1,815 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a IHOP franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Information Circle
$40,000 - $50,000
Initial Investment Information Circle
$1,766,072 - $4,375,997
Net Worth Requirement Information Circle
$500,000
Cash Requirement Information Circle
$1,500,000
Royalty Fee Information Circle
4.5%
Ad Royalty Fee Information Circle
3.5%
Term of Agreement Information Circle
Term of lease (typically 20 ye
Is franchise term renewable? Yes
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Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training 273.5 hours
Classroom Training 42.5 hours
Ongoing Support
Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security & Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support
Co-op Advertising
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed? No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Information Circle
No
Can this franchise be run part time? Information Circle
No
# of employees required to run 50
Are exclusive territories available? Information Circle
Yes
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Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where IHOP landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

Curious to know where IHOP ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.

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Disclaimer
The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.
Updated: December 12th, 2022