IHOp "changes its name" to IHOb to promote its burgers*

[retailisking]

Company officials are tight-lipped about what the new name means; speculation is focusing on "breakfast." (Turns out it wasn't breakfast but burgers - topic title changed )

https://nypost.com/2018/06/05/ihop-announces-mysterious-name-change/

[MikeinBuffalo]

I'll give you a hint...they will be competing with Hooters in the near future  ;D

[shore72]

If real, and not just a gimmick, it would be one of the dumbest moves since New Coke. First, everybody knows IHOP & it sounds "happy". IHOB sounds like you have to hobble around on a bad foot or something (really!)

[giantsfan2016]

I saw a commercial for the change on the Freeform Network during a commercial break in the 9AM hour this morning.

[TheFugitive]

Several years ago they sued a church in Kansas City for calling itself
the International House of Prayer (IHOP).

If these guys become IHOB does the church get the name back?   ???

[retailisking]

For what it's worth, here's the TV commercial...
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dwdl/ihop-ihob

[giantsfan2016]

I don't understand the reasoning behind this. Are they changing the name just for the sake of changing their name? If so it makes no sense.


Just like this from the radio industry. Since signing on in the early 90s the Spanish Language Top 40 station in Springfield, Massachusetts was known as "Power 1270." After a sale to Full Power Radio in 2016, they changed the station's name to "Bomba 1270" to match their sister Spanish Top 40 station "Bomba-FM" in Connecticut. They moved to the weaker signaled 1490-AM and added an FM on 104.5 in April 2016. The station now being "Bomba 104.5". Later still Full Power Radio shut down BOMBA 104.5 and made it a 100% simulcast of BOMBA-FM from Connecticut.

[retailisking]

The brand name 'switch' appears to be tied to a burger promotion

https://nypost.com/2018/06/07/alleged-ihop-insiders-claim-to-know-meaning-of-ihob/

[retailisking]

And sure enough, that's exactly what it was - and the change brought with it a lot of online ribbing from the competition

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/12/ihop-grilled-by-burger-king-wendys-on-twitter-over-ihob-name-change.html

[giantsfan2016]

They've had burgers on their menu for quite a few years now. Still won't get me to go there.

This is a story from January 2016 about 6 1/2 months after the Southington IHOP opened.

Duck and I went to Denny's for dinner after our shifts at Stop and Shop on a Sunday in early January 2016. Anyway as he's driving me home we pass the IHOP.

Me: So have you been to the IHOP yet?
Duck: My boys and I went once back in August. (Boys is slang for homeboys or friends).
Me: How was it?
Duck: Service was slow. Food was cold. Won't be going back.
Me: My Mom said the same thing. She and a couple of her friends went right before Christmas. Denny's has nothing to worry about. Denny's for the win.
Duck: Yes. Denny's for the win.
(We fist bump).

[TheFugitive]

I spent six weeks of my life in Jacksonville, Florida, converting an acquired Zayre store
into an Ames (which they turned around and closed less than a year later).  Ames put
me up in a Red Carpet Inn which was one of the most horrible places I have ever stayed.
There was an IHOP in the parking lot, so I ate way too many meals there.  Eventually got
sick of it and have not been back to IHOP since.

[shore72]

We'll do brunch at The International House of Pancakes maybe once a year. (Sorry, I just don't like "IHOP"!) Always crowded, usually a line to get seated. The wait staff is friendly, though, & we haven't had to wait very long for food. It has to be one of the least healthy places to eat, though. Would I try a burger there? Only if it were lunchtime & I couldn't find anything better in town. Who knows, might be quite good?

[retailisking]

Who knows, might be quite good?

If I ever try one of them, I think I'll have the burger sauce on the side.