IHOP Is Changing Its Name to IHOb & the Internet Is Not Happy
Messing with 60 years of pancake-flipping history.
Image: IHOP/Twitter
What’s the difference between a P and a B? Linguistically they are both produced with the lips, but B is voiced while P is voiceless. So the difference is slight.
When you take “IHOP” and turn it into “IHOb,” however, the difference is vast and the internet explodes.
That’s what happened on Monday after IHOP announced that it was taking its final letter and flipping it upside-down.
“For 60 pancakin’ years, we’ve been IHOP,” read the company’s tweet. “Now, we’re flippin’ our name to IHOb. Find out what it could b on 6.11.18.”
This naturally had a lot of people on the social media site trying to figure out whether IHOP was just trying to pull their legs.
“You’ll just have to wait and see, Patrick,” it told one curious user named Patrick.
Other users had guesses as to what the B could stand for. Is it bacon? Burritos? Biscuits? The Byzantine Empire?
The International House of Pancakes’ lips are sealed, at least for the time being. However, the company told the New York Post via spokesperson that the name change is not a joke.
It seems hard to believe that a restaurant chain with so much brand equity would suddenly, after 60 years in business, change its name. The announcement is likely just a stunt, but we won’t know for sure until June 11th, when it makes its announcement.
In the meantime, we’ll be sitting here wondering what a “HOb” is.
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