A trio of restaurant operators have revealed their upcoming expansion plans:
Dine Brands Global Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.) unveils its first dual-brand Applebee’s/IHOP restaurant in the U.S. Working in conjunction with franchisee Ramzi Hakim Group, the new eatery is in the San Antonio suburb of Seguin, Texas.
The first U.S. dual-branded Applebee’s/IHOP locale. Photo: Courtesy of Dine Brands Global Inc.
“With our dual-branded restaurant, we are combining the strengths of both brands to create a unique and innovative dining experience that offers choice, variety and value to guests,” said John Peyton CEO of DBG, whose holdings also include Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “Our international success with this concept — 13 international dual-branded locations across Canada, Mexico, Honduras and the Middle East – has shown that our brand menus complement each other, providing something for everyone, from early mornings to late nights. We are excited to bring this new dining option to Seguin and look forward to expanding it to more communities across the country.”
The restaurants’ shared common areas, including the host stand and bathrooms, create an integrated experience, and the optimized back-of-house and single kitchen provide operational efficiencies, project backers say.
Dine Brands said it plans to break ground and open 14 more dual-branded locations in the United States through 2026, both by transforming existing single-branded restaurants and building new locations from the ground up.
In all, Dine Brands three chains consist of more than 3500 restaurants across 19 international markets.
Firehouse Subs (Toronto) Heading to Australia: The Sub sandwich chain plans to open 165 restaurants there in next 10 years. The company is teaming with Retail Food Group (RFG), Australia’s largest multi-brand retail food franchisor, on that effort, with plans to open its first locale Down Under in Southeast Queensland late this year.
Firehouse Subs currently has 1300 restaurants across the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, Albania and the United Arab Emirates, with plans to open its first restaurant in Brazil later this year. The sub chain is a unit of Restaurant Brands International Inc., whose other holdings are Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeyes.
Chicken Salad Chick (Atlanta) Set to Keep Growing: Last year, the purveyor of Southern-style chicken salads inked 88 deals, and grew its store fleet to 288 restaurants across 20 states.
As for the coming year, the chain’s franchise development team has identified Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and West Virginia as target growth states. Thus far in 2025, it has opened restaurants in Chesapeake, Va.; Lakeland, Fla.; Westminster, Md.; and Bowling Green, Ky. Upcoming openings include Houma, La., on Feb. 26, and Braselton, Ga., on March 4.