The Biscuit Capital Of The World Has Been Renamed In Honor Of IHOP

Move over pancakes — beginning August 28, IHOP menus nationwide will feature a biscuits section offering sweet and savory options. The chain is celebrating the news in the "Biscuit Capital of the World," Natchez, Mississippi, which has been renamed to IHOP for the day. Residents can try the new biscuits at the IHOP on 300 North Broadway at 11:30 A.M. CT, where the first 500 customers will enjoy free buttermilk biscuits. Natchez chef Regina Charboneau, bestowed "The Queen of Biscuits" by The New York Times and the Travel Channel, will be there to share in the celebration, and the Natchez Humane Society will receive a donation.

Customers can now add a warm buttermilk biscuit to any order or try a new sandwich. The Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich is stuffed with two fried eggs, American cheese, and bacon, topped with cheese sauce. It's served with two buttermilk pancakes, hash browns, or fresh fruit for $7 or $9 with a beverage for a limited time. 

Other savory options include a Chicken Biscuit Sandwich topped with hash browns, pickles, and country gravy. Or the Buttermilk Biscuit and Gravy Combo served with eggs, sausage links, bacon strips, and hash browns.

For a sweet treat, there's the Fresh Strawberries and Cream Biscuit — cheesecake mousse, fresh strawberries, and whipped topping fill a warm buttermilk biscuit for $7.99 or $11.99 for the combo.

Independent Southern IHOP restaurants have already seen success serving biscuits. Following a trend set by other quick-serve national restaurant chains like Chick-fil-A, which brought its traditional Southern cuisine to both coasts, IHOP prepared for its nationwide biscuit rollout by revamping its recipe.

A natural choice for breakfast fare, IHOP's new biscuits menu is the brand's latest attempt to drive more traffic during lunch and dinner hours and for take-out orders, which currently account for 20% of total sales. After reducing its menu by a third at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the chain has been trying to increase sales by adding new food categories that are popular later in the day, like savory crepes and burritos. But don't worry, IHOP hasn't abandoned its breakfast-centric menu entirely, returning old favorites like Cinn-A-Stack pancakes too.

In 2020, IHOP saw its lowest U.S. sales in over a decade, reporting $2.25 billion in revenue, down from $3.46 billion the previous year, and parent company Dine Brands Global is still trying to catch up. Revenue for 2022 topped $3.36 billion, reminiscent of 2018 figures, with inflation working against the company. Despite the higher menu prices, same-store sales grew just 2.1% in the second quarter of 2023. 

For biscuit lovers, the new menu is a good thing. Starting today, IHOP's 6.5 million International Bank of Pancake rewards members can use their PanCoins on The Stack Market for biscuits whether they dine in or take out at participating locations.