Amarillo IHOP Linked To Salmonella Outbreak
For the third time in three months, the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Amarillo, Texas is closed--this time at least seven confirmed cases of salmonella are linked to the restaurant.
With its location just off Interstate 40 at Western, the IHOP could well be sending a lot more sick people down the road.
Since we don't have a whole lot more on this one yet, how about the history of IHOP on its 50th birthday!
IHOP AT 50
1958 -- Brothers Al and Jerry Lapin open the first International House of Pancakes restaurant in Toluca Lake, Calif.
1961 -- The Lapins sell the first International House of Pancakes franchise to an investor from Kentucky.
1961 -- The company of pancake restaurant chains goes public. It's one of the first-ever restaurant companies to sell stock.
1963 -- International House of Pancakes adopts the corporate name International Industries as it begins to acquire several brands, including Orange Julius and The Original House of Pies, as well as non-restaurant businesses.
1966 -- Al Lapin Jr. buys brother Jerry Lapin's half of the business after the two have different ideas about the future of the company.
1972 -- Al Lapin Jr. loses control of the company as International Industries struggles.
1972 -- The acronym IHOP first appears as part of a marketing campaign.
1975 -- International Industries folds, and IHOP reorganizes as a business entity.
1979 -- The last of the iconic IHOP A-frame franchise restaurants is built.
1979 -- Swiss company Wienerwald Holdings purchases a majority interest in IHOP.
1982 -- Wienerwald files for bankruptcy; IHOP is taken over by another Swiss company called Svido.
1984 -- IHOP introduces the popular Rooty Tooty Fresh 'n Fruity breakfast on its menus.
1987 -- Then-IHOP CFO Richard K. Herzer and a team of investors purchase IHOP and begin rebuilding the company.
1992 -- The 500th IHOP restaurant opens for business.
1993 -- The average sales per IHOP restaurant exceeds $1 million for the first time.
1998 -- IHOP systemwide sales reach $1 billion for the first time.
2001 -- The 1,000th IHOP opens.
2002 -- Julia A. Stewart is appointed president of IHOP.
2007 -- IHOP acquires Applebee's International Inc. for a reported $2.1 billion.
2008 -- IHOP opens its 1,361st restaurant and celebrates its 50th year of serving pancakes.
