I Tried the First IHOPplebee’s in America
Summary
TLDRThe video delves into the world of combination restaurants, particularly focusing on the newly opened IHOpplebees in Texas, which merges Applebee's and IHOP. The host, a self-proclaimed combination restaurant aficionado, examines the unique aspects of IHOpplebees, including its shared kitchen and combined menu, while comparing it to a similar establishment in Detroit. The video discusses the decline of combo restaurants in America, exploring historical trends and the challenges they face, such as profitability and consumer spending. Despite these challenges, the host expresses hope for a resurgence in combo dining experiences, especially with the innovative approach taken by IHOpplebees. The video concludes with a call for viewers to share their thoughts on the future of combination restaurants and potential new pairings.
Takeaways
- 🍽️ IHOpplebees combines Applebee's and IHOP for a unique dining experience.
- 📍 The first IHOpplebees in America is located in Texas, with a similar one in Detroit.
- 🕒 Customers can order from both menus at any time, except Applebee's before 11:00 a.m.
- 🍳 Crossover menu items like the loaded buffalo chicken omelette are exclusive to IHOpplebees.
- 📉 Combination restaurants are declining due to profitability and operational challenges.
- 🔄 The future of combo restaurants is uncertain, but there are plans for more IHOpplebees locations.
- 🍔 Unique features include a shared kitchen and combined branding.
- 💡 Ideas for new combos include Arby's and Sonic for a drive-in experience.
- 📊 Historical trends show a decline in combo restaurants since the mid-2000s.
- 🤔 Viewers are encouraged to share thoughts on the future of combination restaurants.
Timeline
- 00:00:00 - 00:05:00
The narrator embarks on a quest to find the last remaining Kaco Hut, highlighting the decline of combination restaurants in America. They discover a new combo restaurant in Texas, an Applebee's and IHOP hybrid, dubbed IHOpplebees, and express excitement about its potential to revive the trend.
- 00:05:00 - 00:10:00
The narrator, a combination restaurant enthusiast, explains their framework for categorizing combo restaurants. They differentiate between loosely attached businesses and those with shared kitchens and employees, noting that IHOpplebees fits the latter category despite being casual dining rather than fast food.
- 00:10:00 - 00:15:00
Upon researching a similar establishment in Detroit, the narrator finds discrepancies in its classification as a combo restaurant. They confirm that customers can order from both IHOP and Applebee's sides, challenging the claim that the Texas location is the first of its kind in the U.S.
- 00:15:00 - 00:20:00
The narrator travels to Detroit to experience the combo restaurant firsthand, discussing the unique features of the IHOP Express and the shared kitchen setup. They note the absence of a bathroom inside the restaurant and the limited menu offerings compared to traditional IHOPs.
- 00:20:00 - 00:28:50
After visiting both the Detroit and Texas locations, the narrator reflects on the future of combo restaurants. They express hope for the success of IHOpplebees due to its innovative crossover menu items and shared branding, while also acknowledging the challenges faced by the industry.
Mind Map
Video Q&A
What is IHOpplebees?
IHOpplebees is a combination restaurant that merges Applebee's and IHOP, allowing customers to order from both menus.
Where is the first IHOpplebees located?
The first IHOpplebees in America is located in Texas, but there is a similar establishment in Detroit.
Can you order from both Applebee's and IHOP at IHOpplebees?
Yes, customers can order from both menus at any time, except Applebee's items are not available before 11:00 a.m.
What are some unique features of IHOpplebees?
IHOpplebees features a shared kitchen, combined menus, and crossover items exclusive to the location.
Why are combination restaurants declining?
Combination restaurants have been declining due to challenges in profitability, training staff, and maintaining quality.
What is the future of combination restaurants?
The future is uncertain, but there are plans for more IHOpplebees locations, indicating a potential resurgence.
What are crossover menu items?
Crossover menu items are unique dishes that combine elements from both restaurants, like the loaded buffalo chicken omelette.
How does IHOpplebees compare to other combo restaurants?
IHOpplebees is considered one of the best-executed examples of combination restaurants due to its shared branding and menu.
What challenges do combo restaurants face?
Combo restaurants face challenges like declining consumer spending, operational complexity, and competition.
What are some ideas for new combo restaurants?
Potential combos include Arby's and Sonic, leveraging their unique offerings and drive-in setups.
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- 00:00:00Earlier this year, I set out to find the
- 00:00:02last remaining Kaco Hut because
- 00:00:04combination restaurants have been dying
- 00:00:05out rapidly across America. They go from
- 00:00:08three restaurants to two, two
- 00:00:10restaurants to one, or sometimes they
- 00:00:12just close entirely. It seems like an
- 00:00:14irreversible trend. Or is it? In
- 00:00:16February, a new combination restaurant
- 00:00:18opened in Texas, the likes of which had
- 00:00:20never been seen before in America. A
- 00:00:22combo Applebees and IHOP, or as I like
- 00:00:25to call it, IHOpplebees. And since I'm
- 00:00:27weirdly passionate about combo
- 00:00:29restaurants, I knew I had to go
- 00:00:30experience it for myself and see if this
- 00:00:32could be the comeback we're all hoping
- 00:00:34for.
- 00:00:37[Music]
- 00:00:40If you're new here, I'm a little bit of
- 00:00:42a combination restaurant afficionado.
- 00:00:44And because of that, I can't tell you
- 00:00:45how many times people sent me these
- 00:00:47headlines.
- 00:00:55Besides the fact that this just sounds
- 00:00:57like an incredible culinary experience,
- 00:00:59one reason I was so excited to go see
- 00:01:00this place in person is that I think
- 00:01:02this might be one of the best examples
- 00:01:04of a combination restaurant that's ever
- 00:01:06existed. And here's what I mean by that.
- 00:01:08I've developed a framework for all the
- 00:01:09different ways that restaurants can be
- 00:01:11combined. On the one end, you've got
- 00:01:12separate businesses that are loosely
- 00:01:14attached. This includes things like mall
- 00:01:16food courts, gas stations, and travel
- 00:01:18plazas, Little Caesars inside a Kmart.
- 00:01:20In most cases, I don't even really
- 00:01:21consider these to be combo restaurants.
- 00:01:24In the middle, you've got multiple
- 00:01:25brands in a dedicated space, but
- 00:01:27separate counters and separate
- 00:01:28employees. The best example of this is a
- 00:01:30combination Wendy's and Tim Hortons. And
- 00:01:32then on the other end, the most pure
- 00:01:34examples of combination restaurants
- 00:01:36include a shared kitchen, shared
- 00:01:38counter, and shared employees. Examples
- 00:01:41include Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Dunkin,
- 00:01:43BaskinRobins, Auntie Ans, Cinnabon, and
- 00:01:45Carville, and of course the
- 00:01:46aforementioned Kaco Hut, which is a
- 00:01:49triple combination KFC, Taco Bell, and
- 00:01:51Pizza Hut. Obviously, IHOP and Applebees
- 00:01:53are slightly different in that they come
- 00:01:54from the world of casual dining, not
- 00:01:57fast food. So, they don't really have a
- 00:01:58counter like these other places, but
- 00:02:00from what I can tell from these
- 00:02:01articles, this place checks all the
- 00:02:03other boxes with a shared kitchen,
- 00:02:04shared employees, and shared branding.
- 00:02:07So, as I got ready to fly to Texas, I
- 00:02:09had one big question on my mind. Why are
- 00:02:11IHOpplebees popping up in 2025 when most
- 00:02:14other combination restaurants are going
- 00:02:15in the other direction? But
- 00:02:17unfortunately, before I could answer
- 00:02:18that question, I ran into a huge
- 00:02:21problem. Okay, so when people started
- 00:02:23sending me these articles, I was like,
- 00:02:25"Guys, I think there already is one of
- 00:02:26these in Detroit." Like in this ideas
- 00:02:28note on my computer, it says IHOP plus
- 00:02:31Applebees in Detroit. I hadn't really
- 00:02:32looked into it. It was just an idea for
- 00:02:34a video that I had jotted down. So when
- 00:02:36these articles came out, I went back and
- 00:02:37looked into the Detroit one, and there
- 00:02:39weren't that many pictures, but I found
- 00:02:40this one that shows the two restaurants
- 00:02:42side by side, almost like they would be
- 00:02:44set up at an airport, which if you
- 00:02:46remember, would put them in the category
- 00:02:48with like food courts and travel plazas.
- 00:02:50And I'm like, surely, surely the authors
- 00:02:53of these articles did their research
- 00:02:54before they called this one in Texas the
- 00:02:56first in the US. But then just now as
- 00:02:59I'm like getting ready to go, I find
- 00:03:01these 360° walkthroughs.
- 00:03:04And the reason why I didn't see these
- 00:03:05before, and this is one of my gripes
- 00:03:07with combination restaurants, is that
- 00:03:08they're listed as separate
- 00:03:10establishments on Google Maps. So when
- 00:03:12you look at the listing for IHOP, the
- 00:03:13only 360° images are from Street View.
- 00:03:16But when you look at the listing for
- 00:03:17Applebee's, it's like the Street View
- 00:03:19card drove right through the restaurant.
- 00:03:21Like this is clearly one restaurant.
- 00:03:24Like I'm on the Applebee's side and
- 00:03:26they've got syrup on the table. I don't
- 00:03:27know if you've been to Applebee's
- 00:03:29recently, but that's not typical
- 00:03:30Applebee's behavior. I was able to find
- 00:03:32that it's in this hotel and on the hotel
- 00:03:35website it says these are the IHOP hours
- 00:03:38and these are the Applebee's hours and
- 00:03:40they don't overlap. So I'm thinking,
- 00:03:42okay, so that's not really a combo
- 00:03:44restaurant. like it just switches from
- 00:03:46an IHOP to an Applebee's. But maybe you
- 00:03:48can't really order both at the same
- 00:03:49time. So maybe that's why the articles
- 00:03:51are calling the one in Texas the first.
- 00:03:53But I went ahead and called the
- 00:03:54restaurant just to be sure. By the way,
- 00:03:57a lot of people are giving me a hard
- 00:03:58time for never calling the Kaco Hut in
- 00:04:00Puerto Rico. And I just have to defend
- 00:04:01myself for a second here. When I was
- 00:04:03making that video, they didn't have a
- 00:04:04phone number on their Google Maps
- 00:04:06listing or on any websites. And even if
- 00:04:08they did, my Spanish is so rusty that it
- 00:04:10just would have been a nightmare for
- 00:04:11everyone involved. Hello and thank you
- 00:04:13for calling the Applebee's IHOP. Press
- 00:04:15one for hours of operation. The hours of
- 00:04:18operation for the Applebee's IHOP at the
- 00:04:20Millinger Center are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00
- 00:04:22p.m. daily. Press three to reach a team
- 00:04:24member or manager or to
- 00:04:28thank you for calling IHOP. How can I
- 00:04:30help you? Hi, I just have a quick
- 00:04:32question for you. What time does the
- 00:04:34restaurant switch over? 11:00 a.m. Okay,
- 00:04:38so after 11:00 a.m. you can't order IHOP
- 00:04:41anymore? No, you can. You just can't
- 00:04:43order Applebees before 11. So,
- 00:04:45hypothetically,
- 00:04:47would I be able to order IHOP from the
- 00:04:49Applebee's side at like 8:00 p.m.? Yep.
- 00:04:53Okay. Thank you so much. No problem.
- 00:04:55Have a nice day. So, as it turns out,
- 00:04:57those hours on the hotel website were
- 00:04:59wrong. You can sit on either side and
- 00:05:01order from either restaurant, except you
- 00:05:03can't order from Applebee's before 11:00
- 00:05:04a.m. I mean, this checks all the boxes
- 00:05:08for combination restaurant, which is
- 00:05:10crazy because that would mean that all
- 00:05:11those articles are wrong. And I think it
- 00:05:13also means that I'm probably going to
- 00:05:15need to
- 00:05:16go to Detroit.
- 00:05:19Since I was going to be making the trip,
- 00:05:20I tried to see what other videos I could
- 00:05:22work on between here and there. And I'm
- 00:05:23going to be honest with you guys. When
- 00:05:24I'm traveling and filming three to four
- 00:05:26videos at the same time, staying on top
- 00:05:28of my spending can feel a little bit
- 00:05:29stressful. But that's why I'm thankful
- 00:05:31to partner with Chime, who's the sponsor
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- 00:05:37we've become so used to paying with
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- 00:05:40There were multiple times in college
- 00:05:42when I accidentally overdrafted my
- 00:05:43checking account and then got hit with
- 00:05:45fees from my bank that were higher than
- 00:05:46the charge itself. It felt like I was
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- 00:06:33today. And thanks again to Chime for
- 00:06:34sponsoring this episode. After a full
- 00:06:36day of driving, I eventually made it to
- 00:06:38the city of brotherly love, Detroit. The
- 00:06:40hotel where the restaurant is located is
- 00:06:42right across the river from South
- 00:06:44Detroit, aka Windsor, Canada. It's not
- 00:06:46super clear when this IHOpple bees
- 00:06:48opened, but the signage first appears on
- 00:06:49Google Street View in the summer of
- 00:06:512018. So, it's been there for at least 7
- 00:06:53years. IHOP and Applebees have been
- 00:06:55under the same parent company since
- 00:06:572007, but 2018 would make sense for this
- 00:07:00opening because that's when their parent
- 00:07:01company rebranded from Dine Equity, Inc.
- 00:07:03to Dine Brands Global and tried to shake
- 00:07:06things up a little bit. So, here's the
- 00:07:07view from the lobby side. They've put up
- 00:07:09about half an acre of shrubbery to kind
- 00:07:12of separate the lobby from the
- 00:07:13restaurants, but as you can tell, still
- 00:07:15kind of looks like they're two separate
- 00:07:16entities on the right and the left with
- 00:07:18one host stand in the middle. And I just
- 00:07:20want to acknowledge the elephant in the
- 00:07:21room right off the bat. I know that it
- 00:07:23says Coffee Bar by IHOP and IHOP
- 00:07:26Express. And I'll explain what that is
- 00:07:28in just a second. I got there around
- 00:07:298:30 p.m. and the restaurant was far
- 00:07:31from full, but I was told there was a
- 00:07:3215-minute wait if I didn't want to sit
- 00:07:34at the bar. So, I joined a wait list and
- 00:07:36found a seat in the lobby where I was
- 00:07:37able to start looking over their menu.
- 00:07:39Also, just as a side note, one weird
- 00:07:40feature is that there's no bathroom
- 00:07:42inside this restaurant. So, instead,
- 00:07:44they'll tell you to go stop by the desk
- 00:07:45in the hotel lobby where they'll give
- 00:07:47you a code for the hotel bathroom. Okay,
- 00:07:49so IHOP Express. Most of the official
- 00:07:51information from IHOP about IHOP Express
- 00:07:54is in relation to airport locations.
- 00:07:56They say the difference is that IHOP
- 00:07:57Express locations have limited menus and
- 00:07:59then the option for either counter
- 00:08:01service or table service. But looking at
- 00:08:03this menu from the Detroit location, it
- 00:08:05seems pretty built out. I recognize a
- 00:08:07few things they don't carry here, like
- 00:08:08breakfast tacos, but I don't feel like
- 00:08:10there's too much that I'd be like really
- 00:08:12mad that they didn't have. And then the
- 00:08:14coffee bar part. First of all, the fact
- 00:08:15that you can get lattes, cappuccinos,
- 00:08:17and iced coffees here is incredible.
- 00:08:19Like, none of that is on the menu at my
- 00:08:21local IHOP. And then it looks like there
- 00:08:22are also some grab-and-go food items.
- 00:08:25Not only are there more varieties of
- 00:08:26breakfast burritos here than on the
- 00:08:28normal IHOP menu, but I don't think
- 00:08:29these bowls are included on the normal
- 00:08:31IHOP menu at all. Also, just to be
- 00:08:32clear, there is a seating area for IHOP.
- 00:08:35Like, it's not just this counter, but
- 00:08:37I'll show you that in just a second. So,
- 00:08:38say what you want about IHOP Express,
- 00:08:40but I feel like it should at least get
- 00:08:41credit for having options that a
- 00:08:42traditional IHOP doesn't have.
- 00:08:44Eventually, I got seated and I saw that
- 00:08:46large sections of the restaurant were
- 00:08:48curtained off. Later, when I was
- 00:08:49leaving, I was able to look through the
- 00:08:50windows to see the rest of it, and it's
- 00:08:52actually a really big space, and I do
- 00:08:53feel like it's normal for restaurants to
- 00:08:55limit service after a certain time, but
- 00:08:578:30 p.m. doesn't seem like crazy late
- 00:08:59when you're open until 10:00. Two things
- 00:09:00I want to point out to further solidify
- 00:09:02the fact that this is in fact a legit
- 00:09:04combo restaurant are that it's
- 00:09:06definitely a shared kitchen and the
- 00:09:07menus are printed together. It's not
- 00:09:09like you're ordering from two separate
- 00:09:10menus. I knew I wanted to get some
- 00:09:12classics from both restaurants. So, I
- 00:09:14ordered a Mountain Dew darkberry bash,
- 00:09:16which is an Applebee's exclusive. The
- 00:09:18quesadilla appetizer from Applebee's. I
- 00:09:20asked if they had half off apps after
- 00:09:229:00 p.m., but was told that they only
- 00:09:23had a happy hour from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
- 00:09:25So, my quesadilla would be full price.
- 00:09:27For IHOP, I got a stack of chocolate
- 00:09:29chip pancakes. And then for dessert, I
- 00:09:31ordered the triple chocolate meltdown.
- 00:09:33The drink came out first and immediately
- 00:09:35I was like, I don't know what that is,
- 00:09:36but it is definitely not Mountain Dew
- 00:09:38darkberry bash. I'm just going to show
- 00:09:39you a sideby-side comparison so you can
- 00:09:41see the difference in color. For a split
- 00:09:43second, I was like, wait, does this I
- 00:09:44Helbe serve Baja Blast? But after
- 00:09:46tasting it, I confirmed that it was
- 00:09:48neither Baja Blast nor Dark Berry Bash.
- 00:09:50Perhaps a secret flavor exclusive to
- 00:09:52this location. If anybody from Mountain
- 00:09:55Dew or Applebees is watching and can
- 00:09:56tell me what I just drank, that would be
- 00:09:58great. The quesadilla was delicious.
- 00:10:00Very salty, but otherwise no notes. And
- 00:10:02the pancakes were solid. Exactly what
- 00:10:04you'd expect from IHOP. Although, at one
- 00:10:05point, I almost accidentally took a sip
- 00:10:07of the syrup instead of my drink. Could
- 00:10:09have been bad. And then the chocolate
- 00:10:10meltdown thing was decent. I've heard
- 00:10:12that pretty much everywhere that serves
- 00:10:13these, from fancy restaurants all the
- 00:10:15way down to Domino's, just gets them
- 00:10:16from the same supplier. I haven't been
- 00:10:18able to confirm that, but honestly, it
- 00:10:20would not surprise me. One thing I made
- 00:10:21sure to ask my waitress about was this
- 00:10:23buffet I had seen in those 360 images.
- 00:10:25So, from these pictures, which are dated
- 00:10:27June 2018, it looks like you could do an
- 00:10:29IHOP breakfast buffet for $13.99,
- 00:10:32featuring waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage,
- 00:10:35biscuits, and gravy, and then cereal,
- 00:10:36and other stuff. Basically, a really
- 00:10:38nice hotel breakfast buffet. And once
- 00:10:40again, way more than you're getting at a
- 00:10:41typical IHOP. And then at lunchtime,
- 00:10:43there was an Applebee's buffet for the
- 00:10:44same price, which looks like it included
- 00:10:46a soup and salad bar and then rotated
- 00:10:48based on the day. So you might get stir
- 00:10:50fry, tacos, shrimp, riblets, or maybe
- 00:10:53different types of chicken. Incredible
- 00:10:55setup, phenomenal deal. But sadly, my
- 00:10:57waitress told me that they stopped doing
- 00:10:58that sometime around CO. She said
- 00:11:00occasionally they'll throw a buffet back
- 00:11:02there during a big game to take some of
- 00:11:03the stress off the kitchen, but mostly
- 00:11:05it's just nothing. Here's a shot of what
- 00:11:06that section looks like now. So after
- 00:11:08eating here, does this location deserve
- 00:11:10the title of being the first IHOpplebees
- 00:11:12in America? As someone who may have
- 00:11:14accidentally become one of the world's
- 00:11:15foremost experts on combination
- 00:11:17restaurants, I would say yes for the
- 00:11:19following reasons. For one, as I
- 00:11:21mentioned before, the menus are combined
- 00:11:22and all the food is prepped in the same
- 00:11:24kitchen. Two, for all intents and
- 00:11:26purposes, it's a combined seating area.
- 00:11:28Like, sure, the vast majority is themed
- 00:11:30like Applebee's, and you've got one room
- 00:11:32that's exclusively themed like IHOP, but
- 00:11:34you can sit on either side and order
- 00:11:35from either menu, as exemplified by the
- 00:11:37syrups on the table on the Applebee's
- 00:11:39side. just don't even think about trying
- 00:11:40to order from Applebee's before 11:00
- 00:11:42a.m. And finally, three, I don't feel
- 00:11:44like the fact that it's an IHOP Express
- 00:11:46disqualifies it in any way. In fact, a
- 00:11:48lot of the combination restaurants were
- 00:11:50most familiar with feature a limited
- 00:11:51menu for one or both of the restaurants.
- 00:11:53Like, most combination Pizza Hut and
- 00:11:55Taco Bells are actually just Taco Bells
- 00:11:57with a Pizza Hut Express menu tacked on.
- 00:11:59That being said, there's one huge reason
- 00:12:02I think I still need to visit the
- 00:12:03location in Texas. In the first video I
- 00:12:05made about combo restaurants about a
- 00:12:07year and a half ago, I said the real
- 00:12:09reason, the biggest reason in my opinion
- 00:12:11these restaurants are now an endangered
- 00:12:12species is that they never really
- 00:12:14capitalized on exclusive crossover items
- 00:12:17like the ones that I was trying to make
- 00:12:18in that video. And the Detroit location
- 00:12:20definitely didn't do that. But from what
- 00:12:22I've heard, the new location in Texas
- 00:12:25does. But before we get there, the
- 00:12:26question still remains. Why now? Why is
- 00:12:30Dine Brands taking this big swing by
- 00:12:32announcing plans for over a dozen of
- 00:12:34these IHOP and Applebees combos when
- 00:12:35other companies are going in the
- 00:12:37opposite direction? To understand the
- 00:12:39background and hopefully find an answer
- 00:12:40to that question, I've prepared for you
- 00:12:42a very abridged version of the history
- 00:12:44of combination restaurants. So, buckle
- 00:12:46up. In 1977, PepsiCo buys Pizza Hut and
- 00:12:49then Taco Bell a year after that. In
- 00:12:511986, they acquire KFC and 7 years
- 00:12:54later, a baby boy is born on the south
- 00:12:56side of Richmond, Virginia. His name
- 00:12:59Dwide Shrewd. Just kidding. His name was
- 00:13:01Sam Reed. But little does he know that
- 00:13:03same year, exactly 45 mi to the
- 00:13:05northeast, a KFC in Tapahanic, Virginia
- 00:13:08is remodeled and becomes the world's
- 00:13:10first KFC Taco Bell. This ends up being
- 00:13:13wildly successful, and PepsiCo plans to
- 00:13:15open 50 dual branded restaurants by the
- 00:13:17summer of 1995. A couple years later,
- 00:13:19the restaurant division of PepsiCo spins
- 00:13:21off to become Tricon Global Restaurants.
- 00:13:24And around that same time, Dunkin Donuts
- 00:13:25and BaskinRon Robbins, who are both
- 00:13:27under parent company Allied Dome, start
- 00:13:29testing co-branded locations as well. In
- 00:13:31the year 2000, Trion experiments by
- 00:13:33teaming up with another company called
- 00:13:34Yorkshire Global Restaurants, who owns
- 00:13:36Long John Silvers and A&W to make even
- 00:13:39more combinations. And they're like,
- 00:13:40"You know what? This is going so well.
- 00:13:42We should just merge our two companies."
- 00:13:44So in 2002, Trion and Yorkshire combined
- 00:13:46to form Yum Brands. And by this point,
- 00:13:49Yum has over a thousand multibranded
- 00:13:51locations. Here's where it gets good.
- 00:13:53From roughly 2002 to 2010 is what I
- 00:13:55would personally describe as the golden
- 00:13:57age of combination restaurants. People
- 00:13:59are bullish on the idea that you can
- 00:14:01increase revenue by 30 to 40% without
- 00:14:03paying any more for real estate. And so
- 00:14:05during that time, Yum doubles its number
- 00:14:07of co-branded locations from 1,500 to
- 00:14:10roughly 3,000. The chief development
- 00:14:12officer at Yum says they plan to
- 00:14:13increase the number of combination
- 00:14:14restaurants to 6,000 by 2007. And on one
- 00:14:18annual report, they claimed that they
- 00:14:19have the potential for 13,000 co-branded
- 00:14:23locations in the US. And yet, in 2025,
- 00:14:26there are mere hundreds left. So, what
- 00:14:28happened? Despite their lofty goals,
- 00:14:30Yum's 10K filings with the SEC reveal
- 00:14:32that the actual number of multibrand
- 00:14:34units never broke 5,000. And just as a
- 00:14:37point of clarification, they include
- 00:14:38Pizza Hut and Wing Street in that total,
- 00:14:40which I don't really consider a combo
- 00:14:42restaurant because Wing Street doesn't
- 00:14:44exist outside of Pizza Hut. So when you
- 00:14:46take out those locations, the actual
- 00:14:47number is closer to 3,000. I've
- 00:14:50discussed some of this before, but
- 00:14:51basically multibranding wasn't quite as
- 00:14:53profitable as everyone thought it would
- 00:14:55be. It was harder to train staff,
- 00:14:57maintain inventory, and customers
- 00:14:59complained that the quality was just
- 00:15:00never as good. And then on top of all
- 00:15:02that, discretionary spending from
- 00:15:03consumers declined each year from 2007
- 00:15:06to 2009 because of the recession. By
- 00:15:082010, a Young Brands quarterly report to
- 00:15:10investors revealed a reduced emphasis on
- 00:15:13multibranding as a long-term growth
- 00:15:15strategy. And by the end of 2011, they
- 00:15:17had sold A&W and Long John Silvers to
- 00:15:20another company. So, I kind of thought,
- 00:15:21okay, there's the answer to why they're
- 00:15:23dying off. It's no longer a priority for
- 00:15:24Yum. And if Yum can't pull it off, what
- 00:15:26chance does smaller companies have? Case
- 00:15:28closed. Pretty straightforward. I know
- 00:15:30that recent Yum CEOs have tried to
- 00:15:32improve efficiency and I thought that
- 00:15:33meant letting combo locations slowly die
- 00:15:35off as remodels happen or just letting
- 00:15:37them exist in peace if franchises want.
- 00:15:40But what I didn't realize is that there
- 00:15:42was a specific plan in place to kill
- 00:15:45them off. I have right here an internal
- 00:15:47document for Taco Bell franchises that's
- 00:15:49been shared with me by an anonymous
- 00:15:50source, never before seen by the general
- 00:15:52public. And I'd like to read a few
- 00:15:53quotes for you from a section entitled
- 00:15:56Decoupling Incentive Program. This is
- 00:15:58specifically talking about Taco Bells
- 00:15:59that are paired with KFC's. So it says
- 00:16:01option number one, upgrade an existing
- 00:16:04KT, KT meaning Kaco, to a single branded
- 00:16:06KFC restaurant and build a new single
- 00:16:09brand Taco Bell restaurant in the same
- 00:16:11trade area. So if a franchisee took that
- 00:16:13option in 2024, they would get a $22,500
- 00:16:16fee waved, a reduction in the percentage
- 00:16:18of fees they pay to Taco Bell for the
- 00:16:20next year, and get this, $50,000
- 00:16:24cash. Taco Bell is going to pay you
- 00:16:26$50,000 if you break up your combo KFC
- 00:16:29Taco Bell. And then the other three
- 00:16:30options are all variations of that. So
- 00:16:32keep the Taco Bell, build a new KFC,
- 00:16:34downgrade to a KFC without building a
- 00:16:36new Taco Bell, or downgrade to a Taco
- 00:16:38Bell without building a new KFC. So
- 00:16:40again, I just feel like these are polar
- 00:16:41opposite strategies from two restaurant
- 00:16:44giants. Like on the one hand, Yum Brands
- 00:16:46basically has a hunting license for
- 00:16:47their combination restaurants, while on
- 00:16:49the other hand, Dine Brands is kind of
- 00:16:50trying to rehabilitate the species
- 00:16:52Jurassic Park style. Obviously, one is
- 00:16:54in fast food and the other one is in
- 00:16:56casual dining. So, maybe Dine will be
- 00:16:58able to make this setup last in a way
- 00:16:59that Yum never could. But I figured the
- 00:17:01best way to see if this new setup was
- 00:17:03going to succeed or face the same fate
- 00:17:05was to go see it in person. I made my
- 00:17:07way to San Antonio on a redeye flight
- 00:17:09from Portland after attending the Steve
- 00:17:10Irwin Gala in Las Vegas the night
- 00:17:12before. And this I Hoppelbees is located
- 00:17:14near a small town called Sigin, Texas,
- 00:17:17which has a population of about 36,000
- 00:17:19and a really cool downtown area. Their
- 00:17:21high school mascot is the Matadors. Why
- 00:17:23they chose Sigin for this flagship
- 00:17:24location, I'm not sure, but it did seem
- 00:17:26like there was a decent amount of
- 00:17:28construction in the area, possibly
- 00:17:29because of all the business the IHOP is
- 00:17:31bringing in. The restaurant itself is
- 00:17:33just off the highway, and at long last,
- 00:17:35I laid eyes on it.
- 00:17:39Glory,
- 00:17:41glory, hallelujah.
- 00:17:46[Music]
- 00:17:49Glory,
- 00:17:51gloral.
- 00:17:54[Music]
- 00:17:57So, in addition to some incredible
- 00:17:59co-branding on the outside, they have a
- 00:18:00drive-thru for both Applebees and IHOP
- 00:18:03to go orders. Also, just a heads up for
- 00:18:04when you visit, there's apparently a
- 00:18:06very healthy bird population in Sigin.
- 00:18:08So, maybe don't park under the trees
- 00:18:09unless you want your car to get
- 00:18:11absolutely painted. I got there around
- 00:18:1211:30 a.m., which in my mind is the
- 00:18:15perfect time for some breakfast and
- 00:18:16lunch crossovers. Right when you walk
- 00:18:18in, the co-branding continues with a
- 00:18:20bench on each side, one themed like IHOP
- 00:18:22and the other themed like Applebees.
- 00:18:23Kind of reminds me of the different
- 00:18:24color schemes inside a combination Taco
- 00:18:26Bell and Long John Silvers. The entryway
- 00:18:29is also where I learned that Sigin is
- 00:18:30the home to the world's largest pecan.
- 00:18:32And then the first thing you see once
- 00:18:34you get through the next set of doors is
- 00:18:35this giant wall with both logos. And
- 00:18:38then after that, there's a lot to take
- 00:18:39in. So allow me to show you around. On
- 00:18:41the right side, the restaurant is themed
- 00:18:43like IHOP with signs that say things
- 00:18:45like, "Smile, you're at IHOP." And it's
- 00:18:47like, am I I guess kind of, right? And
- 00:18:49then the left side plus the far back
- 00:18:51corner is themed like Applebees. And the
- 00:18:53left side is also where the bar is. As
- 00:18:55you probably know, most IHOPs do not
- 00:18:56serve alcoholic beverages, which you can
- 00:18:58purchase at both this location and the
- 00:19:00one in Detroit. I got seated at a table
- 00:19:02behind the bar on the Applebee's side,
- 00:19:04but just to be abundantly clear, it's
- 00:19:05not like you can only order from one
- 00:19:07restaurant based on where you're
- 00:19:08sitting. Both menus are fair game from
- 00:19:10every seat in the house. I would
- 00:19:12describe the separate sections as more
- 00:19:13of like a visual gimmick than they were
- 00:19:15functional dividers. And this little
- 00:19:17wall thing dividing the sections
- 00:19:18actually featured alternating Applebee's
- 00:19:20apples and IHOP smiles. I found that
- 00:19:23most Applebee's locations have decor on
- 00:19:24the walls that's like vaguely local, but
- 00:19:26I feel like they got pretty specific
- 00:19:28here with the pictures of the Sigin
- 00:19:29Water Tower and stuff like Guadalupe
- 00:19:31County and a few other similar phrases.
- 00:19:33The shirts the staff were wearing had
- 00:19:35both logos, which I feel like you don't
- 00:19:36even get at most KFC Taco Bells. Like
- 00:19:39usually it's just uniforms from one
- 00:19:40restaurant or the other. And of course a
- 00:19:42shared menu with both logos, grill and
- 00:19:45bar and breakfast and tabs so you can
- 00:19:47find the section you're looking for. I
- 00:19:49asked my server if they had any
- 00:19:50crossover items and initially she said
- 00:19:52no. But then she came back and told me
- 00:19:54that they have one called the loaded
- 00:19:55buffalo chicken omelette on the menu
- 00:19:57that has a label that says only
- 00:19:59available here. So I actually combed
- 00:20:01back through the menu and was able to
- 00:20:02find four other items with that same
- 00:20:04label. the sirloin steak and eggs, the
- 00:20:06ultimate breakfast burger, the berry
- 00:20:08balsamic grilled chicken salad, and the
- 00:20:10strawberry waffle sundae. Unlike the
- 00:20:12menu in Detroit, this one wasn't as
- 00:20:14cleanly separated into IHOP and
- 00:20:16Applebee's. There was a section for
- 00:20:18breakfast which was entirely IHOP items,
- 00:20:20but otherwise the items felt more
- 00:20:21interspersed, which I kind of like. Some
- 00:20:23menu items, like these sandwiches, had
- 00:20:25the label buy IHOP, which was kind of
- 00:20:27interesting. And this was a much fuller
- 00:20:29version of the IHOP menu, but still not
- 00:20:31the full thing. For example, still no
- 00:20:33breakfast tacos or like I've had a
- 00:20:34biscuit sandwich at IHOP before that
- 00:20:36wasn't on this menu. But looking over
- 00:20:38the menu, I was surprised at how much
- 00:20:40natural overlap there was. Like
- 00:20:41standalone IHOPS sell burgers and
- 00:20:43sandwiches and like seafood and stuff
- 00:20:45now. So those types of things I think
- 00:20:47are more or less eclipsed by their
- 00:20:49Applebee's counterparts. According to a
- 00:20:50couple different articles, by
- 00:20:51eliminating that overlap, they were able
- 00:20:53to get the menu down to roughly the same
- 00:20:55number of items as a standalone IHOP or
- 00:20:57Applebees so as not to overwhelm the
- 00:20:59kitchen. Much to my surprise, they do
- 00:21:01have half off apps at this location. I
- 00:21:03just wasn't there at the right time. And
- 00:21:04they also have the 2 for 25 deal that
- 00:21:06you can get at most Applebee's. I
- 00:21:08decided to order the loaded buffalo
- 00:21:09chicken omelette, which was their most
- 00:21:11prominently featured crossover item and
- 00:21:13the one my waitress had mentioned. The
- 00:21:14sirloin steak and eggs sounded good, but
- 00:21:16even though it's listed as only being
- 00:21:17available here, it is pretty similar to
- 00:21:19the sirloin steak tips and eggs that you
- 00:21:21can order at a regular IHOP. I guess the
- 00:21:23difference being steak versus steak
- 00:21:24tips. I got another stack of chocolate
- 00:21:26chip pancakes, a strawberry waffle
- 00:21:28sundae for dessert, and finally a
- 00:21:30redemption order of Mountain Dew
- 00:21:32darkberry bash. This time I got it as a
- 00:21:33dirty soda, which basically just means
- 00:21:35that they add whipped cream. And as far
- 00:21:36as I could tell, that was not an option
- 00:21:38at the Detroit location. While I was
- 00:21:40waiting for my food, I found out that
- 00:21:41they'd been open since February 18th,
- 00:21:432025. I was there in the middle of May.
- 00:21:45So, at that point, they'd been open for
- 00:21:46just shy of 3 months. And before this,
- 00:21:48it was a standalone IHOP location. As we
- 00:21:51were talking, the weight staff referred
- 00:21:52to this combo as the first and only in
- 00:21:55the world. And this actually brings up a
- 00:21:56really interesting point. So even if you
- 00:21:58take the Detroit one out of the
- 00:22:00equation, there are actually other
- 00:22:01IHOpple bees outside of the US. Like
- 00:22:03this one in Dubai, UAE, or this one in
- 00:22:06Leon, Mexico. That one's actually above
- 00:22:08a Chili's, which is a crazy move. Like
- 00:22:11don't tempt me with a good time. From
- 00:22:12what I could find, there are roughly 18
- 00:22:14dual branded IHOP and Applebees
- 00:22:16locations outside of the US. And those
- 00:22:18are spread out across Canada, Mexico,
- 00:22:20UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Honduras, and
- 00:22:23Peru. That's actually the reason this
- 00:22:25video is titled the first Ihapplebees in
- 00:22:27America instead of in the world.
- 00:22:28Although, if the one in Detroit predates
- 00:22:31the international ones, maybe I did go
- 00:22:33to the first one in the world. The
- 00:22:34articles also mentioned plans to open 23
- 00:22:36more IHOpple bees internationally. The
- 00:22:38CEO went so far as to say that the
- 00:22:40global number could soon be in the
- 00:22:42hundreds. The Dine Brands website
- 00:22:44actually has a page pitching potential
- 00:22:45franchises on the idea of dual branded
- 00:22:48units. They say that you can either
- 00:22:49build one from the ground up or renovate
- 00:22:51an existing restaurant like they did
- 00:22:52with this IHOP. But the pitch is that
- 00:22:54you can combine the peak revenue from
- 00:22:56IHOP in the morning with the peak
- 00:22:57revenue from Applebee's in the evening
- 00:22:59and get this Mshaped graph. And believe
- 00:23:01it or not, that was actually Yum's
- 00:23:02thought process as well. In the early
- 00:23:04'90s, KFC was seen as more of a dinner
- 00:23:06concept. And Taco Bell was seen as a
- 00:23:08lunch brand. Same basic idea with Duncan
- 00:23:10and BaskinRobins. Like people are
- 00:23:11getting coffee and donuts in the morning
- 00:23:13and then ice cream in the afternoon and
- 00:23:14evening. But honestly, that mgraph is
- 00:23:16probably what IHOP was going for when
- 00:23:18they introduced burgers to their menu in
- 00:23:202018. Do you remember that they did this
- 00:23:22huge publicity stunt where they said
- 00:23:23that they were changing their name to
- 00:23:24IHOB? It makes me wonder if this dual
- 00:23:26branded experiment is in response to
- 00:23:28poor burger and lunch and dinner sales
- 00:23:30at IHOP locations. The other interesting
- 00:23:32thing to me is that in the late '9s and
- 00:23:34early 2000s, Yum was saying a co-branded
- 00:23:36restaurant could increase revenue by 30
- 00:23:38to 40%. We'll call it 1.4x. 4x what they
- 00:23:41were doing before. Dine Brands, on the
- 00:23:43other hand, is claiming that this
- 00:23:44co-brand can 1.5 to 2x revenue for a
- 00:23:47franchisee. And that's a big claim,
- 00:23:49especially because dine brands may not
- 00:23:51be doing so hot. According to restaurant
- 00:23:53business online, between Applebees and
- 00:23:54IHOP, they opened 65 new restaurants
- 00:23:57last year, but closed 83. So, with that
- 00:24:00in mind, this strategy to invest in
- 00:24:01combo restaurants could either be genius
- 00:24:03or maybe kind of a lastditch effort to
- 00:24:06stop a ship from sinking. I know I've
- 00:24:07been talking for a while, but the food
- 00:24:09actually ended up coming out pretty
- 00:24:10fast. The omelette had breaded chicken
- 00:24:12tenders on both the inside and the
- 00:24:13outside. Very cheesy and very creamy
- 00:24:16thanks to an abundance of ranch
- 00:24:17dressing, but the buffalo sauce had
- 00:24:19decent flavor. Overall, I would say a
- 00:24:21pretty solid crossover item. I had to
- 00:24:22make sure I wiped my knife off so I
- 00:24:24didn't get buffalo sauce on my pancakes,
- 00:24:26which would have made for a wild ride. I
- 00:24:27also realized that having this Mountain
- 00:24:29Dew with breakfast items was kind of a
- 00:24:31bold choice. Although, I guess I
- 00:24:32technically did it in Detroit, too. But
- 00:24:34that somehow felt more normal because I
- 00:24:35was eating a quesadilla and it was like
- 00:24:379:00 p.m. Now that I say that, I guess
- 00:24:38I've also had a Baja blast with Taco
- 00:24:41Bell breakfast before. So, I don't know.
- 00:24:42I'm not a lawyer. Either way, this time
- 00:24:44around, the Mountain Dew was definitely
- 00:24:45darkberry bash, which was delightful.
- 00:24:48And finally, I moved on to the
- 00:24:49strawberry waffle dessert. And it's
- 00:24:51actually only half a waffle, but that
- 00:24:52explains why it only costs $2.99. Pretty
- 00:24:55enjoyable as far as desserts go, but I
- 00:24:57had to tap out before I could finish all
- 00:24:58the ice cream because I was stuffed. So,
- 00:25:00having experienced both the original
- 00:25:02location in Michigan and this newer,
- 00:25:04flashier version in Texas, the question
- 00:25:06is, will I Hop Bees suffer the same fate
- 00:25:09as the Yum Brands combos? Or is this
- 00:25:11going to last and be more successful in
- 00:25:13the long term? Is this the start of the
- 00:25:15resurgence of combo restaurants? Here's
- 00:25:17what I'll say. I do think that this is
- 00:25:19probably the best executed example of a
- 00:25:21combination restaurant I've ever seen,
- 00:25:23which does give me hope. I would go so
- 00:25:24far as to say it might deserve its own
- 00:25:26category on this diagram. Primarily
- 00:25:28because of the crossover menu items
- 00:25:29which other companies are just sleeping
- 00:25:31on, but also because of the little
- 00:25:33details like the decorations and the
- 00:25:34employee uniforms incorporating both
- 00:25:36logos. It's just stuff you don't really
- 00:25:38see elsewhere. And then I would say the
- 00:25:40icing on the cake is that you can order
- 00:25:42everything online. That's one huge flaw
- 00:25:44with Yum's combo restaurants. I think
- 00:25:46mostly because they were all built
- 00:25:47before these restaurants had apps and
- 00:25:49online ordering became a thing. But most
- 00:25:51of the time, you're only able to place
- 00:25:52an order for one restaurant or the
- 00:25:53other. There's just no infrastructure to
- 00:25:55place an online or mobile order for
- 00:25:57items from both brands. But I checked,
- 00:25:58and not only can you place an order
- 00:26:00online from this location that includes
- 00:26:01both Applebee's and IHOP items in the
- 00:26:04same cart, but you can also order all
- 00:26:06five of those exclusive crossover items
- 00:26:08as well. I think if they want to succeed
- 00:26:10in the long term, they can tighten a
- 00:26:11couple things up. One major flaw is that
- 00:26:13they're still listed as separate
- 00:26:15restaurants on Google Maps. IHOP and
- 00:26:17then Applebee's. I don't know why. It
- 00:26:19makes it way harder to search for these
- 00:26:21that way. Another piece of feedback is
- 00:26:23that they didn't really go as hard as
- 00:26:24they could have with the crossover
- 00:26:26items. They're not super prominent on
- 00:26:27the menu and the staff didn't even know
- 00:26:29that there were crossover items. I'll
- 00:26:30give them the benefit of the doubt.
- 00:26:32Maybe they were new. Maybe they're still
- 00:26:33learning the menu, but I think they can
- 00:26:34be marketed better. And I also think
- 00:26:36they can get a little bit more creative.
- 00:26:38So, here are some free ideas for you.
- 00:26:39One, burger with pancakes for the bun.
- 00:26:41It's like the McGriddle of hamburgers.
- 00:26:43Two, you do an appetizer sampler with
- 00:26:45breakfast foods. We're talking egg
- 00:26:47bites, French toast sticks, bacon
- 00:26:49wrapped tater tots, little bite-sized
- 00:26:50pancakes. I don't know. And three, I
- 00:26:52want to see a classic Applebee's
- 00:26:54promotion, but with IHOP items included.
- 00:26:56Like maybe all you can eat shrimp,
- 00:26:58riots, and boneless wings, plus sausage
- 00:27:00links. All right, that one actually
- 00:27:01sounds like a nightmare, but I think
- 00:27:03with a little tweaking it could work.
- 00:27:04Despite all the initial buzz about 12 to
- 00:27:0715 additional IHOpple locations,
- 00:27:09including some allegedly opening in
- 00:27:11June, it's now July and the only news
- 00:27:13I've been able to find is about one
- 00:27:15other location in San Antonio that won't
- 00:27:17open until at least March of 2026. I
- 00:27:20emailed the senior vice president of
- 00:27:21global communications at Dine to ask for
- 00:27:23more information, but did not get a
- 00:27:24response. Is this a bad sign? I don't
- 00:27:27know. Maybe they're just behind
- 00:27:28schedule, or maybe the first location
- 00:27:29wasn't as successful as they thought it
- 00:27:31would be, and they're rethinking their
- 00:27:32strategy. I really want this concept to
- 00:27:34succeed. So, I left them a five-star
- 00:27:36review. But unfortunately, they kept all
- 00:27:38their reviews from before the remodel.
- 00:27:41So, the average rating is is like really
- 00:27:43low. Outside of IHelbees, do I think
- 00:27:45combo restaurants can make a comeback? I
- 00:27:47hope so. I want to believe they can.
- 00:27:49There are smaller brands out there that
- 00:27:51have launched new combos recently, but I
- 00:27:53just don't think it's been proven as a
- 00:27:54concept on a large scale since the boom
- 00:27:56of the mid2000s. You know who should be
- 00:27:58doing this though? Arby's and Sonic.
- 00:28:00Same parent company. And I feel like
- 00:28:01Arby's business would skyrocket if you
- 00:28:03coupled it with Sonic's menu and the
- 00:28:05drive-in setup. Let me know in the
- 00:28:06comments if there are other restaurants
- 00:28:08you think would make a good combo, or if
- 00:28:09you think I Happlebee's is going to
- 00:28:11stand the test of time. And hey, before
- 00:28:13you go, recently YouTube legend Tom
- 00:28:15Scott described one of my videos as a
- 00:28:17combination of a research deep dive, a
- 00:28:19travel video, and a slightly nauseating
- 00:28:21food review. And I think that sums it up
- 00:28:23pretty well. So, if that kind of thing
- 00:28:24sounds entertaining to you, it would
- 00:28:26mean a lot if you hit subscribe down
- 00:28:27below. I'll be back in a couple weeks
- 00:28:29with the season finale for season 8,
- 00:28:31which will be really fun. But until
- 00:28:32then, just remember that even when it
- 00:28:34doesn't feel like it, it's going to be
- 00:28:35okay. I'll see you soon.
- 00:28:39All I think about is you late night in
- 00:28:42the middle of June. He always been
- 00:28:45freaking me out. can make you happy or
- 00:28:48not.
- IHOpplebees
- combination restaurants
- Applebee's
- IHOP
- food trends
- restaurant history
- crossover menu
- dining experience
- fast food
- casual dining