Flip’d by IHOP, the fast-casual spinoff of the big breakfast chain, made its debut in the Big Apple this week.
The scaled-down IHOP opened in Manhattan’s Flatiron District on Tuesday. And though the footprint is smaller, the menu is large, featuring pancake bowls, burgers, sandwiches, salads, chicken, coffee and more from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is the second Flip’d in the U.S., joining one in Lawrence, Kan., that opened in September.
At just 1,800 square feet, Flip’d is a fraction of the size of the traditional IHOPs operated by franchisees Robert "Don Pooh" Cummins and Bryan McKenzie. But they were attracted to the concept because of how it stacks up against competitors.
“We liked the grab-and-go component and the fact that it uses the fresh ingredients, unlike most of the other QSRs,” Cummins said.
IHOP franchisees Bryan McKenize and Robert "Don Pooh" Cummins plan to open a total of 10 Flip'd locations in New York. / All photographs courtesy of IHOP
Flip'd customers can expect to get a meal in about six minutes, Cummins said.
"At IHOP, we can basically do the same thing if you want it to go, but the buildout and the amount of space that’s needed to operate Flip’d is not as big as an IHOP," he said. Cummins' and McKenzie's IHOP restaurants are each 5,000 square feet, or about 3 times the size of the first Flip'd.
In May, IHOP President Jay Johns estimated it would cost $575,000 to $650,000 to open a Flip'd, much less than what a traditional IHOP costs.
Flip'd also sells baked goods and grab-and-go snacks.
McKenzie and Cummins expect the concept to generate between $30,000 and $40,000 a week on average, slightly under what’s in line for other breakfast QSRs. They have a deal to open 10 Flip'd units in New York over the next five years.
Because of its smaller size and simplified operations, Flip’d requires fewer employees than an IHOP. There are no dishwashers, servers or busboys in the restaurants, which make do with a staff of about eight, including a manager, McKenzie said. The average IHOP might have 15 or 16 people working at once, and up to 20 on weekends.
Flip'd has an open kitchen where food is made to order.
There’s also an emphasis on technology. Customers can order from kiosks or from a cashier, and Flip'd will soon introduce a mobile app as well.
“What we’re excited about is that corporate incorporated technology and ordering from your phone, ordering from the kiosk, all of these things that have been helping advance the restaurant industry,” Cummins said.
The franchisees expect most of Flip’d’s business to come via delivery, McKenzie said.
The restaurant does have a small dining room of about 20 seats, though that’s off-limits right now as a precaution against COVID-19.
Customers can order from kiosks or at the counter.
Initially envisioned as a way for IHOP to expand its reach into dense, urban areas, the pandemic led it to broaden its real estate strategy to include the suburbs. Upcoming locations are slated for Cincinnati and Silver Spring, Md., in the spring of 2022.
The Manhattan unit, on the ground floor of a small office building on 23rd Street, is Flip'd's first in-line location.
"Ours is more geared towards the urban prototype, what they’re really trying to roll out," Cummins said.
Flip’d is part of a renewed growth push for IHOP parent Dine Brands, which expects the pancake chain to double its historic unit count by 2023.
In addition to pancake bowls, the menu also features chicken strips, salads and more.