The internet is having none of IHOP’s pivot to burgers with IHOb

Being known for pancakes should be a badge of pride, but IHOP wants more, and last week the International House of Pancakes changed its name from IHOP to the cryptic IHOb. Today, it was revealed to stand for the International House of Burgers.

Yes, this is a scandal. Take a few deep breaths though — it’s only a marketing stunt, even if the restaurant did change its signage and billboards: 

As a 60-year-old business grappling with the anti-gluten movement and the rise of avocado toast, the obvious business move would’ve been to expand its menu with a rebrand to International House of Breakfast. But IHOB is actually a move in the opposite direction: to grow the chain’s lunch and dinner business by leaning on America’s most popular menu item. 

Are burgers the way to do it though? IHOP is entirely the wrong style of restaurant for the burger crowd, who either want it fast and cheap, or made with grass-fed beef and topped with high-end ingredients. “We are definitely going to be IHOP,” IHOP President Darren Rebelez tells CNNMoney. “But we want to convey that we are taking our burgers as seriously as our pancakes.” 

Your new options include a Cowboy BBQ Burger with fried onion rings and a Big Breakfast Burger with bacon, egg and hash browns. Yet there’s no option for a pancake burger, which just seems like lazy marketing. And the official Twitter account calling them “bancakes” is really just trolling yourself, IHOP.

As for the internet, “good luck with that” has been the prevailing sentiment:

And at least two other restaurant chains have already reminded IHOP to stay in its lane.

But to some, the real magic of the International House of whatever is the welcoming atmosphere.