IHOP is not making cheeseburger pancakes — but that is a creation that, given the fast food industry's recent obsession with combining the incompatible to stir up a social media frenzy, could actually see some traction on the internet.
The most recent creation of the Dine Global DIN brand International House of Pancakes (IHOP) combines numerous proteins in an omelette version of the classic American cheeseburger.
This week, the fast-food chain dropped two new omelettes that strive to cram as much meat and cheese as possible to its menus.
What Exactly Is A Cheeseburger Omelette?
IHOP's two latest offerings include the Cheeseburger Omelette and Deluxe Three Cheese & Bacon Omelette.
With both selling for $13.99, the former is eggs stuffed and topped with Black Angus beef, an American, jack and cheddar cheese blend, onions, diced tomatoes, pickles, hash browns, ketchup, and mustard while the latter is another mammoth full of jack and cheddar cheeses, white cheese sauce, hickory-smoked bacon, crispy hash browns, and roasted cherry tomatoes.
IHOP
As first reported by food site Chewboom, this is a limited-time promotion at participating IHOP restaurants across the country.
The cheeseburger spin is likely a way to tap into both the fast food craze much like the maple syrup cola the chain released in partnership with Pepsi (PEP) last month.
Across the industry, "cheeseburger flavor" has become a code word for something with ground beef and American cheese topping — Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain Wawa recently added a cheeseburger salad to its offering.
What Has IHOP Been Up To?
While the cheeseburger omelette is not a prank, one of IHOP's greatest marketing hits included changing the last letter in its name to IHOb.
To promote a new line of burger patties, the chain briefly flipped the "p" in its name to a "b" on social media and at several locations in 2018.
This was probably the greatest marketing campaign undertaken by the pancake purveyor since people on the internet would discuss what the "b" could stand for — before IHOP revealed it was burgers, "bananas" and "bitcoin" were some of the most widely-circulated guesses.
So What Is The Point Of All This?
An ever-evolving menu is a way for a fast-food chain to differentiate itself from competitors and draw attention to a name that has been around for years or even decades.
One clear example of this is the Yum! Brands (YUM)-owned Taco Bell.
By regularly putting items like the mysterious Nacho Fries and chicken wings on and off its menus, the Tex-Mex chain is able to whip up a storm of attention every time something new drops (or, in some cases, old but not forgotten) drops.
In IHOP's case, one example of the beloved fan favorite would be the $5.99 all-you-can-eat pancakes deal that the chain brings back and takes away from time to time.
The deal, which has diners starting with a plate of five pancakes that they can ask to refill in sets of two ad infinitum, has brought in a wave of diners in the winter months.
That said, such promotions and new ideas have not been able to help Dine Brands recover from a recent slump.
The larger company that also owns the chain Applebee's Neighborhood Grill saw its stock fall by 23% in the last year.
