IHOP Gets a Taste of Applebee's

By Dustin Lushing, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 16, 2007 10:50 PM CDT

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IHOP Gets a Taste of Applebee's — An IHOP restaurant sign is shown in Burbank, Calif., Monday, July 16, 2007. IHOP's CEO Julia Stewart has been making bold moves to revitalize the 45-year old chain best known for its pancakes and its blue-tiled roofs. With a $1.9 billion bid for the bar-and-grill chain Applebee's, she may be taking... (Associated Press)

Breakfast giant International House of Pancakes is acquiring the bar-and-grill chain Applebee's for $1.9B, or $25.50 a share—4.6% higher than Friday's closing price. IHOP will turn most of Applebee's 508 restaurants into franchises at a rate of 40 per quarter beginning in 2008, a move that execs hope will cut costs and revitalize the struggling pancake maker.

"We believe over time we will create a business model with a lower-risk profile and superior cash-flow characteristics," said IHOP's Chief Executive. News of the transaction sent IHOP shares soaring to $4.99 today, or 8.9%, closing at $61.24. Applebee's stock jumped 2% to $24.91. (More IHOP stories.)

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