IHOP doesn’t want its guests to splurge on themselves only on weekends. So, the chain is pulling another page from its value playbook to get them out of the house more during the week, today launching its new House Faves menu, available every Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for $6.
“We want to make weekdays the new weekends,” chief marketing officer Kieran Donahue said during a recent interview. “This $6 menu allows our customers a treat that they might not have otherwise given themselves because they’re saving up for the weekend.”
Two-thirds of IHOP’s guests have household incomes of $75,000 or less, so such promotions are critical for the brand as lower-income consumers have pulled back from the industry in recent quarters in favor of eating at home. The new menu was created to offer value through abundance, Donahue added, and includes:
- Breakfast Faves Combo (2x2x2): Two of IHOP’s buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, and two bacon strips or two pork sausage links.
- Ham & Cheese Omelette: A ham, jack & cheddar, and white cheese sauce omelette, served with 2 of IHOP’s buttermilk pancakes.
- French Toast Breakfast: One slice of Classic Thick ‘N Fluffy French Toast, two bacon strips or two pork sausage links, and two eggs.
- House Scramble with Hash Brown: Eggs scrambled with chopped hickory-smoked bacon and jack and cheddar cheese. Served with crispy hash browns.
IHOP piloted the menu to identify what offerings most resonated with guests to entice them to reconsider dining out during the week and breakfast items came out on top.
“We found in our testing that people really like breakfast any time of day and that’s a great thing for us,” Donahue said. “And when we looked at the business holistically and where we needed business and where guests were looking for value, it was the weekday.”
The expectation is House Faves will grow lunch and dinner business at IHOP, in addition to weekday traffic. Also, the $6 price point was derived so the menu could remain profitable for franchisees.
“We are not in the space of doing loss leaders,” Donahue said. “We’re not going to put anything out there that isn’t profitable, but we won’t put something out there that won’t drive traffic. It’s a balance of art and science. Our job is to make sure guests get what they need but also be responsible by making sure these promotions are profitable for our franchisees.”
IHOP recruits Loverboy, Julie Bowen for the weekday promotion
“Working for the Weekend” was a massive hit for Loverboy in 1982, and the Canadian rock band has created a new version of the song, called “Working for the Weekday” to promote IHOP’s new menu. The collaboration includes a bespoke music video in which IHOP’s iconic Syrup Caddies perform the re-recorded song and star in a remake of the original music video, down to lead singer Mike Reno’s signature red bandana. It also highlights IHOP’s new menu, including buttermilk pancakes, eggs, bacon, French toast, and more.
The chain has also partnered with Julie Bowen, best known for her role as Claire Dunphy in ABC’s “Modern Family,” for the campaign. She will appear in commercials celebrating weekday moments at IHOP, where her family can enjoy a sit-down meal together.
Donahue said there is a lot of “noise” around value and promotions in the current environment and partnering with Loverboy and Bowen is a way for IHOP to break through that noise.
“(Bowen) is relatable and she leans into our family sweet spot,” she said. “Loverboy allows us to have fun with our Monday through Friday campaign and tap into nostalgia. Of course, everybody’s familiar with the song, so it’s a lot of fun. It all goes back to us as a family brand that’s nostalgic and owning the equities that we have with our classic menu and value. We’re meeting guests where they are and having a little fun with ourselves in the process.”
Check out the "Working for the Weekday" spot below:
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
