It may be known as the International House of Pancakes, but that’s not going to stop IHOP from adding a little bit of a party to their pancakes.
The popular breakfast food chain recently announced that it would be adding some “Bubbles, Wine, & Brews.”
IHOP Adding Alcohol to Menu
According to CNN, if you visit an IHOP soon you’ll be able to sip on your favorite beers, wines, or seltzers while going to town on some pancakes. Some of the offerings include Bud Light, Blue Moon, Corona, Barefoot Bubbly Brut, Barefoot Bubbly Chardonnay Champagne, and Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon.
There may also be some local brews popping up on different menus. Each restaurant is being given the independent choice in relation to alcohol selling. By the looks of it, IHOP is going to focus on more inexpensive options when adding alcohol to the menu. This aligns well with the budget-friendly theme the restaurant franchise has going.
If you’re hoping to sip some whiskey or take a shot of vodka with your eggs and bacon, you’re out of luck. There will be no hard liquor, seeing as IHOP still wants to align itself as a family-oriented restaurant.
The restaurant is already envisioning how certain products will go with the upcoming alcohol offerings. Mimosas, a staple for daytime drinking, will likely go well with many breakfast items, such as french toast or pancakes. Others may opt for a Corona Extra with their poblano Omelette.
It’s particularly geared to the younger generations, as well.
“Our recent ‘Drinks and Dining Survey’ of Americans unveiled that 66 percent of our younger guests (ages 21-34) have been craving an alcoholic beverage to accompany some of their IHOP favorites. With dining out regularly returning to American’s routines across the country, it’s the perfect time to launch this offering and gauge excitement from our guests about the new selections,” IHOP President Jay Johns said, according to Food & Wine.
Roll Out and Reason for Alcohol
There are two IHOP restaurants in New Mexico that are going to get boozy this week. Others will follow suit in the fall. Johns said “we want it to be as broad as possible,” however, it’s unknown if all the locations will carry it. There are 1,750 IHOP locations and Johns is anticipating about 1,000 may be on board with the plan.
IHOP is a breakfast spot at its core, but it hopes to be seen as much more. You may remember when the chain decided to go by IHOb in 2018 to promote the burgers on its menu. The food establishment wants to expand beyond that breakfast image. This is another reason why incorporating alcohol fits into their overall plan.
Cracker Barrel made a similar move when it incorporated alcohol into restaurants last year.
Now, IHOP’s most notorious rivals, Waffle House especially, may have to think about its next move very carefully. It’s already a staple of post-night out drinking, so maybe more alcohol isn’t a must after all.
