WESTLAKE, Ohio — Convenience-store retailer TravelCenters of America LLC will open 94 IHOP restaurants in TA and Petro-branded travel centers within the next five years through a new partnership with the Glendale, Calif.-based restaurant chain. The deal marks the biggest store-development deal in IHOP’s 61-year history.
TravelCenters of America currently operates four IHOP restaurants, including one that opened this week in Jackson, Ga. The TA Restaurant Group, a division of TravelCenters of America, will manage the new IHOP restaurants. They will feature the brand’s made-to-order menu, including items such as buttermilk pancakes, oversized omelettes, Ultimate Steakburgers and Crispy Chicken.
“When it comes to serving our customers, IHOP and TA's missions and cultures align," said Barry Richards, president and COO of TravelCenters of America. "Adding such a highly regarded brand like IHOP to our restaurant group shows our commitment to bringing the best possible dining options to both professional drivers while they're away from home and to local families living in the communities we serve. An important part of our restaurant strategy is focusing on growing our partnerships with trusted brands like IHOP that appeal to broader audiences, and today’s agreement will enable us to accelerate that process."
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with TravelCenters of America to open up to almost 100 new IHOP restaurants over the next five years in TA and Petro travel centers across the U.S.,” said Jay Johns, president of IHOP. “The TA brand, a trusted hospitality leader in the industry and with consumers, shares the same values as IHOP when it comes to delivering an outstanding experience to guests on the go. We’re looking forward to serving the great-tasting, freshly made menu items we’re known for at breakfast, lunch and dinner to the millions of guests who stop at TA and Petro locations each year.”
IHOP has more than 1,700 restaurants in the U.S. and more than 100 restaurants globally.
TravelCenters of America, with headquarters in Westlake, Ohio, has more than 260 locations in 43 states and Canada, principally under the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel-center brands. The chain is No. 29 in CSP’s 2019 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by number of retail outlets.
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