IHOP jumps into the grocery aisle with a new pancake cerealIHOP jumps into the grocery aisle with a new pancake cereal

It’s been a busy few years for restaurant brands diversifying their businesses by adding consumer packaged goods to the mix. IHOP is the latest such company, announcing today a partnership with General Mills to launch IHOP Mini Pancake Cereal – Blueberry & Syrup.

The cereal, which features pancake-shaped pieces with artificial blueberry and syrup flavors, will begin appearing on shelves later this month and at retailers nationwide in January.

“As a leader in breakfast and pancakes, IHOP tapped another breakfast hero, General Mills, to help bring the long-awaited collaboration to life,” CMO Kieran Donahue said in a statement. “After the viral moment in 2020, we knew guests had an appetite for an IHOP cereal. We created this iconic cereal in hopes that our guests would look forward to it any time of day.”

That “viral moment” Donahue is referring to is when TikTok users posted videos of themselves creating tiny pancakes during the throes of the pandemic. According to Thrillist, videos tagged #pancakecereal generated more than 1 billion views on the platform.

CPG has become an increasingly robust channel for restaurant brands looking for additional revenue streams and brand awareness opportunities. Companies from Panera and Chick-fil-A to Little Sesame have stepped up their retail focus in the past two years, while those that have historically played in the space – like Focus Brands and White Castle – have grown their retail presence.

For IHOP, this foray into retail looks to be the start of a longer-term plan. In an interview Monday afternoon, Dine Brands CEO John Peyton said, “IHOP is an iconic, world-class brand that has amazing equity and an emotional connection with its customers. We’re having fun and stay tuned for more CPG opportunities coming.”

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]