IHOP Bites into Cereal Deal with PepsiCo, General Mills

According to Food Business News, IHOP has combined General Mills and PepsiCo cereals with their buttermilk pancakes and milkshakes to create new menu offerings.

IHOP, a Dine Brands Global subsidiary, partnered with General Mills and PepsiCo to develop the breakfast mashups.

“Shortly after our test kitchen chefs first began playing with the idea of cereal pancakes, we served them to our guests in focus groups and one of the main things they told us was that it made them feel nostalgic for those Saturday mornings watching cartoons and eating cereal when they were kids,” says Brad Haley, chief marketing officer, IHOP. “So, while some may see our new cereal pancakes menu as the antidote to the ‘adulting’ phenomenon that many grown-ups complain of today, we see them simply as the delicious combination of two of America’s favorite breakfast foods that we didn’t know we needed.

Cereals included in the new lineup are Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Lucky Charms and Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries. Each of the three items include four buttermilk pancakes.

“Our cereals are not just for breakfast with milk,” says Garren Hamby, director of food service sales, General Mills. “Families love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Lucky Charms in a variety of ways throughout the day. We are excited to collaborate with IHOP to create the new pancake dishes for their guests and our fans to enjoy.”

In addition to the cereal offerings, IHOP is introducing two new milkshakes inspired by breakfast cereals: The Cinnamon Toast Crunch milkshake and the Crunch Berries milkshake. Both are blended with vanilla ice cream and are topped with whipped cream and the cereal of choice.

 “Cap’n Crunch is all about bringing adventure to the table, and we’re thrilled to embark on this new voyage with IHOP, another breakfast icon,” says Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer, Quaker Foods North America, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. “We can’t wait for people to experience the Crunch they know and love through this creative and flavorful breakfast journey that helps remind people of the simple, delicious joys of Saturday mornings.”