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Channel Check: IHOP

By The Channel Checkers on Wed, 2009-06-10 23:02

Over the past week, we surveyed various IHOP locations to gauge trends in the casual dining business. We asked the following questions:

 
 
1.      How long is the wait for a table of 2?
2.      What is the average check size for a party of two?
3.      What is the most popular item on the menu?
4.      Are you less busy these days compared to last month because of economy?
  • 72% of respondents said there was on average no wait time for a table of two, while 28% of respondents said that average wait time was between 5-10 minutes.
  • The average check size for a party of two is reported to be $23.85.
  • Specialty pancakes was the most popular menu item according to 9 respondents or 36% of those surveyed. Country Omelet comes in second as the most popular menu item according to 2 respondents or 8% of those surveyed.
  • 47% of respondents had felt that their location had been slower compared to last year because of the economy. 28% of respondents said that it has been the same, while 16% of respondents said it has been busier. The responses suggest that the economy have had a toll on the IHOP business.
Conclusion of Channel Check:   IHOP locations look to be “slack” a term we use to mean that wait times are almost non-existent and the perception among employees is that business is slower than the year ago period with very few (16%) seeing business as up from a year ago. In a tip to the marketing department the most popular items match IHOP's advertising campaigns strongly.
 
For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com