Ajax is now home to Ontario's first dual-branded Applebee's and IHOP restaurant, which opened its doors on Aug. 4 at 155 Kingston Rd. E.
The location adds IHOP to an existing Applebee's restaurant, combining both brands inside one freestanding building. Customers can order from both menus, while the two concepts share back-of-house operations, according to Connect CRE Canada.
The Ajax opening is part of a broader push by Dine Brands, the parent company of both chains, to expand the dual-brand format across its existing restaurant real estate. The idea is to lift sales at established locations by pairing Applebee's lunch and dinner business with IHOP's stronger breakfast and morning traffic.
How the format works
Dine Brands defines a dual-brand restaurant as one operating both concepts under separate franchise agreements within a single restaurant. Earlier versions of the format have shared an entrance, front-of-house staff and a kitchen.
The approach also means the company is increasingly converting existing restaurants rather than relying only on building new ones. During the second quarter, six existing Applebee's locations in the United States added IHOP, while two existing IHOP restaurants added Applebee's.
As of June 28, Dine Brands had 44 dual-brand restaurants in the U.S. and 37 internationally.
More Ontario conversions expected
The Ajax location won't be the last of its kind in the province. Existing Applebee's restaurants in Barrie and Windsor have been identified for the dual-brand format, extending the strategy to additional established restaurant properties.
For franchisees, the model offers a way to add a second restaurant concept without taking on a second standalone property, spreading kitchen, staffing and occupancy costs across the two brands.
The Kingston Road East location marks the first time the format has reached Ontario, putting Ajax at the front of a chain-wide expansion that Dine Brands has been rolling out across North America.
