openings and closings
Dozens of Applebee's and IHOP restaurants expected to close worldwide
Depending on where you live, it's either about to get a lot harder to feast on a Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity, or much easier.
DineEquity Inc., the parent company of IHOP and Applebee's restaurants, announced Thursday that up to 160 locations, most of them Applebee's, could close by the end of the fiscal year. The company said that even though it's planning on closing some restaurants — which ones will be determined by profitability and "brand quality standards" — it will also open 20 to 30 new Applebee's and 80 to 95 new IHOPs.
Most of the new Applebee's will be international locations, while the IHOP restaurants will primarily open in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reports. Currently, there are 1,968 Applebee's and 1,752 IHOP restaurants worldwide.