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.