By Zsarlene B. Chua
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE of Pancakes (IHOP) is staging another installment of the National Pancake Day promotion where customers can enjoy an all-you-can-eat feast of the chain’s buttermilk pancakes for P250, with P200 going to local charity Kythe Foundation.
Slated on March 8 from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., the promotion — which also has iterations in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Mexico — will be spanning all six Philippine branches of the US-based casual family restaurant.
“We are looking to raise a total of P600,000 this year,” said Archie Rodriguez, CEO and president of Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc. (GRC), the local franchisee of IHOP in the Philippines, during the Feb. 26 launch event at the IHOP in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
The target is P200,000 higher than the funds raised last year.
National Pancake Day is an effort that started in 1995 and has managed to raise $20 million “for children’s health charities in local communities,” according to a company press release.
“Last year, we got a lot of inquiries about people who want to help but didn’t want to line up, so this year, we’re allowing take-outs,” Roberto Vallar, GRC marketing manger, told reporters shortly after the event.
He said that, unlike the diners who will be able to eat as much as they want, those who get take-out will receive a set number of pancakes — still undisclosed — to bring home.
There are IHOP branches at Bonifacio Global City, UP Town Center and Araneta Center in Quezon City; SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City; Filinvest City, Muntinlupa City; and Century City Mall, Makati City.
On the business side of things, Mr. Rodriguez said the company is looking to open two more IHOPs before the third quarter of the year ends: one in Eastwood Mall and another in SM North Edsa, both in Quezon City.
“For this year, we’re going to stop [at eight branches], and then we’ll look at building more stores next year. We’re just being a little more cautious about our growth, and we want to make sure we have the right location and the right partners,” Mr. Rodriguez told BusinessWorld during the event.
Aside from IHOP, GRC is also the local franchisee of Applebee’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Gyu-Kaku and Morelli’s, among others.
Mr. Vallar said that the second Applebee’s is to be located in Eastwood and is poised to open earlier than the IHOP branch in the same mall.
“It’s doing very well,” Mr. Vallar said of Applebee’s performance. The US-based family restaurant reached Philippine shores late last year.
He noted that the contract with American firm DineEquity, Inc. — formerly IHOP Corp. and which handles IHOP franchises — stated that there will only be three Applebee’s stores, but depending on the brand’s performance in the country, GRC might re-negotiate the number.
Mr. Vallar added that the company will be announcing three more US restaurant brands opening in the Philippines, but names and details are still under wraps.
