Monday, July 16, 2007

Riblet pancakes?

So IHOP is buying Applebees, eh? It will be interesting to see what they do with this suffering brand.

When Applebees started out, it was positioned as a neighborhood, casual restaurant but recently has tried to go slightly upscale with a newer menu.

In my opinion, Applebees could use a bit of an update. With lots of casual dining options out there, Applebees has not made its case to me recently as to why I should eat there. They ought to focus on the one or two superior experiences or features they can offer and then tell everyone what those are and why they are important. Sure, they have a diverse menu, but it is not clear to me what they offer that I can't also find somewhere else.

What do you think IHOP could do with Applebees to strengthen the brand?

No comments: