Waffle House and the International House of Pancakes, IHOP, shared similar beginnings;
both had their roots in the 50’s and rode the fast food boom to their modern day status among the
pantheon of iconic American chain restaurants and eateries. How they brand themselves affects
our perceptions of these restaurants before we even walk through the door, but just how much
does branding and approach matter? As they have changed and evolved, their styles and values
so too have diverged, however, their goal remains the same; to bring a consistent selection of
quality breakfast foods to you, even if it’s not really breakfast at all.
Waffle House’s logo is, well, inspired by the “combs” of a waffle. It has carried over
from the very early days of the restaurant and is …show more content…
Their goal is to build rapport with
the customers through this unflagging dedication to staying the same. This “sameness” carries
itself through to the interior of the restaurant. When you step inside, how is one structured? An
open kitchen and booth seats designed to be reminiscent of diners, meaning an emulation of the
original restaurant. Part of this is must be due to the way the franchise grew and expanded;
unlike IHOP, the growth of Waffle House has been a gradual creep from its birthplace in an
Atlanta suburb to the rest of the Southeast, despite having more total stores than IHOP. This
would indicate a much more conservative take on expansion and defense of the consumer base
from competition, echoing the anemic marketing campaign by Waffle House.
IHOP’s approach in this regard has been the polar opposite, aggressive advertising and
always trying to reinvent itself. Taking the characteristic diversity of their California heritage in
stride, IHOP did not creep, it leaped, finding itself in location all across the map. Reflecting the
growing pains of a fully national and international company, the logo has undergone
both had their roots in the 50’s and rode the fast food boom to their modern day status among the
pantheon of iconic American chain restaurants and eateries. How they brand themselves affects
our perceptions of these restaurants before we even walk through the door, but just how much
does branding and approach matter? As they have changed and evolved, their styles and values
so too have diverged, however, their goal remains the same; to bring a consistent selection of
quality breakfast foods to you, even if it’s not really breakfast at all.
Waffle House’s logo is, well, inspired by the “combs” of a waffle. It has carried over
from the very early days of the restaurant and is …show more content…
Their goal is to build rapport with
the customers through this unflagging dedication to staying the same. This “sameness” carries
itself through to the interior of the restaurant. When you step inside, how is one structured? An
open kitchen and booth seats designed to be reminiscent of diners, meaning an emulation of the
original restaurant. Part of this is must be due to the way the franchise grew and expanded;
unlike IHOP, the growth of Waffle House has been a gradual creep from its birthplace in an
Atlanta suburb to the rest of the Southeast, despite having more total stores than IHOP. This
would indicate a much more conservative take on expansion and defense of the consumer base
from competition, echoing the anemic marketing campaign by Waffle House.
IHOP’s approach in this regard has been the polar opposite, aggressive advertising and
always trying to reinvent itself. Taking the characteristic diversity of their California heritage in
stride, IHOP did not creep, it leaped, finding itself in location all across the map. Reflecting the
growing pains of a fully national and international company, the logo has undergone