IHOP Is 68 Years Young: Lawrence Kim on Evolving an American Icon

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1:41Lawrence Kim: You know, when you step into a brand like IHOP, IHOP started back in 1958. Jimmy was born. Jimmy remembers. You're coming into a brand that's not just exciting, but has all history. But I didn't say it's a turnaround. Let's be very real. It's more of an evolution. I like that. IHOP right now is, you know, people can say it's 68 years old, but I like to say it's 68 years young. I love that. Jimmy just wrote that down. Live from the Olo Studios at the Prosper Conference in Orlando, it's the Hospitality Hangout Podcast. I'm Shatzi, the restaurant guy, here with my partner, Mr. Jimmy Freshling. You know, that seems a little more like your Vegas voice, and you're applying it to the Orlando voice.

2:22Oh, did I say we're in Orlando? We're live from Orlando. I was just saying. I think that's kind of your... At the beautiful Ritz Carlton. Jimmy, you like this hotel, don't you? I am such a fan of this hotel. Usually you're at the JW Maryland at the side to save a few bucks, but today... Save a few bucks and be closer to the actual conference event. So the conference is at the Ritz, and that's why you're here. Well, listen, Jimmy, we've got a great guest. Let's jump into it. I'm Jimmy Frischling, the finance guy. our next guest took over one of the most iconic breakfast brands in the country in January 2025.

2:53A personal favorite of mine and the entire Frischling family. Jimmy, why is it a personal favorite of yours? That's what I want to know. I grew up on pancakes. What's your go-to order? Can you tell us? I'm a plain buttermilk pancake guy and sausages. And I loved it back then. We're going to talk about it. I loved the syrup caddy. And while there was a bevy, a virtual plethora of flavors, I'm a purist. I just want my maple syrup. Jimmy, is a pancake a sandwich? Pancake is definitely not a sandwich. What if he takes two pancakes and I throw sausage in between? You know what, Shatsy? I'm going to throw you a bone this morning because I want to bring our guest Lawrence in.

3:25Okay, let's go. I'm going to throw you a bone, a pancake with a piece of protein, two pancakes with a piece of protein in the middle. You know what? It's a sandwich. Lawrence Kim, the president of IHOP and the chief commercial officer of Dine Brands, joined the company January 2025, spent his first month on the job, actually, you know where, Shatsy? Where? In the kitchen. Get it? I heard this, Jimmy. That's how you learn, Jimmy. That's how you learn. In the kitchen. You don't sit in the big office on the 65th floor, Jimmy. Since then, he brought back the syrup caddy. Okay? Trademarked the BLTAF.

3:58We'll let Lawrence talk about that. He brought the syrup caddy back before he even spoke to you. IHOP's own take on bacon, lettuce, tomato, and fries launched an everyday value meal. Okay? This June, he's even taken the bigger role at the company. Please welcome president of IHOP. Now the Chief Commercial Officer, Don Hague, has said that, Lawrence Kim. And by the way, my middle name is Lawrence. Lawrence, great to have you. Yeah, thanks for having me. Say hello to the hospitality hangout crowd. There are hundreds of billions of people listening and watching you right now. Hundreds of billions.

4:29Hundreds of billions. I like it. Let's jump into it, shall we? You worked in a hospital cafe, the hospital cafeteria in med school. No, not in med school. No, not, no. During med school. No. No, not med school. I believe he got his MBA. We didn't get there yet. Oh, sorry. Wait, did you not go to med school?

4:49Lawrence Kim: No, I wanted to be a doctor growing up. And so in high school, I volunteered at a hospital. In high school? Yes, sir. And under the radiology departments, they staffed me the first few hours there. And then the next few hours in the cafeteria, which is awesome. Okay, so I got the wrong information there. And I was going to get to that. All right, so listen. You wanted to be a doctor. Right, but you know what? You know what? That was my whole thing. You see, he thought he wanted to be a doctor. Did you ever want to be a doctor? No, my dad wanted me to be a doctor. Every dad and mom wants a kid to be a doctor.

5:20Isn't that like a mom's dream? I know a Jewish mom's dream is my son, the doctor. The doctor. Same for careers. The doctor. All right, so you got your MBA at Kellogg School of Management, right? You went undergrad at UC Berkeley. Jimmy, we've got a smart guy here. Smart guy. Started his career at Procter & Gamble. Little Samsung Electronics, right? realized very quickly that you know what he didn't like he didn't like like toothpaste and mouthwash and all the other stuff that procter gamble what do they make with dishwash and soap and stuff tied yeah he's like you know what i don't like this you know what i like jimmy i like restaurants am i right i like it all but i love restaurants yes back to that cafeteria job that first high school job you're like i loved it so much and he starts working at yum brands VP Global Strategy, Taco Bell, Innovation Officer, becomes President IHOP, Jimmy, in 25.

6:11Does such a great job over there. Yes, he started cooking in the kitchen, like you said. Becomes Chief Commercial Officer. He's got two jobs. Two jobs. Jimmy, I have a hard time with one. I have a hard time with one job. One job. Just doing this podcast. Can't even do that, you know? In addition to living in Southern California, there's a wife and two kids, right? Loves buttermilk pancakes. likes long walks on the beach, and is a Sagittarius. Did I get anything right?

6:39Lawrence Kim: We'll see you're close in almost all the aspects, yes. All right, listen. My favorite industry headline at the moment is all about legacy brands. First of all, I'm a relationship person. I'm a nostalgia guy. And I love it when a brand that was near and dear to my heart is making its comeback. And if I call it a comeback and that bothers anyone, I apologize. but I love that I'm hearing from my nieces, my nephews, and their crew that IHOP is where they'd like to hang out. So you inherited a brand that I'd say politely needed a little TLC, needed a little love. And within a few months, okay, the brand is, in my opinion, you've made an impact so much so that Dyna is recognizing your contribution.

7:21As we said at the top of the show, the Syrup Caddies are back, the value meal. Talk about what it's like to enter a brand that has so much history and have the opportunity to kind of... Is there a question, Jimmy? Yeah. Ask a question. What is it like to step into a brand like that

7:37Lawrence Kim: and bring your energy, enthusiasm, and love with it? You know, when you step into a brand like IHOP, and, you know, IHOP started back in 1958. Jimmy was born. Jimmy was around. Jimmy remembers. And the fantastic part of when you come into a brand that is that, you said, legacy, it's you're coming into a brand that's not just exciting, but has all that history. But I don't say it's a turnaround. Let's be very real. It's more of an evolution. Evolution. I like that. Yeah. And I always like to say IHOP right now is, you know, people can say it's 68 years old, but I like to say it's 68 years young.

8:10Lawrence Kim: I love that. Jimmy just wrote that. Goal being next week's hospitality headline. That's gold. That was gold, right? That's good. You just helped me write my new headline. There you go. That's what I'm here for. I got to tell you, it really is unbelievable. I mean, when you take a brand like IHOP, right? And like you said, it's 1958. It's 64, 65 years young. How do you keep innovating? You've got to keep it fresh because the young people are very fickle about their foods. So what do you do? You know, the first thing is you've got to know what the brand stands for. And let's be really just talked about it.

8:44What does it stand for? I know what Jimmy thinks.

8:46Lawrence Kim: What do you think it stands for? To me, it's breakfast. It's just I know that I can always count on IHOP for delicious breakfast. And by the way, breakfast isn't just for breakfast anymore. That's what I'm talking about. Any time of day. So two things. First of all, my family and I, we had breakfast for dinner before I came down to process. Yeah, when I said breakfast, I meant breakfast as a food category, not like a day part. No, no, but I'm just saying I had breakfast for dinner. It's one of our family's favorite meals. But I'm also somewhat literal. And I thought when Lawrence said, you know what it means, I thought he was literally asking, and maybe that's so obvious.

9:20Oh, International House of Pancakes. I hopped. Is that what you wanted me to say? No, actually, both of them are nice. All right, we'll do it over again. Oh, what do I think IHOP stands for? I think it's International House of Pancakes. How's that? Better? Yeah, but you know what I think? What? I think that IHOP, that four-letter acronym, you know what it really stands for? Love. Love. Boom. He said it. He said it. Nice having you on the show. Nice having you on the show. It was a great chat. Great chat. Appreciate you guys. There it is.

9:47Lawrence Kim: No, it's breakfast is no matter what, we are an iconic breakfast house. Right, yes, exactly. We are the international house of pancakes. Yes. And so even if you look at the innovation this past year and a half, a lot of it's been focused on our breakfast equities. And that's why one of our biggest hot cakes right now is the Dubai chocolate pancake. And I just had it yesterday. What's up with the Dubai chocolate? When did this all happen? Hershey's was it? I ate Hershey's. What is that? It's been a few years now, but it's still hot. But when you put it into one of our iconic buttermilk pancakes, it's magic.

10:22Lawrence Kim: Just boom. It's amazing. Yeah, Shatsy, Dubai chocolate is so good for you that the more you eat, the more weight you lose. That's how good it is for you. What is Dubai chocolate? Like, what makes it so special? So first, there's pistachio cream. Okay. And then there's katai-fi, which is like a shredded phyllo dough. Okay. And then there are crushed pistachios on top. And then you drizzle that with some hazelnut chocolate on top, and it's perfection. So you're taking that whole thing and just dumping it into a pancake? I think Lawrence would prefer not to use the word dump when it's associated with this pancake.

10:56We layer it and we stack it. We stack it. Layered and stacked. Layered and stacked. And that four-letter word, Shazzy, and with a little love. There you go. With love. Absolutely. I got it. But now also, I mean, all right, so we're talking breakfast. But what about this B-L-T-A-F? Tell me about this, because I like that bacon, lettuce, tomato, and fries. Well, so when we launched - We can't get around that.

11:17Lawrence Kim: No, no. And we like to have fun at IHOP. And when we launched our everyday value menu at$6, we introduced it with four breakfast items. But we are a 24-7 business. Yep. And so we want to provide a few other options. So the team and I, we rallied around the BLT, but we want to get a little creative. So we added some fries and then, thanks to the magic of marketing, it became the BLTAF. But the great part is it gives another point, right, in a day part, lunch or dinner. But it's awesome. I got to tell you. I mean, the six-buck value meal, the six bucks, right? I mean, that sounds like an unbelievable deal.

11:55Lawrence Kim: Well, just think about it. When you're making pancakes, eggs, and bacon at home, think about how much time does it make? How much time does it take to make pancakes, prepare pancakes? At home, it's a big pain in the ass. You got to stir it. It's a lot of work. And a lot of mess. There's a lot of bowls. A lot of mess. Yes. And now imagine doing that. It's like literally making a cake. And we make our pancakes from scratch. And yet it's interesting because it doesn't take Shatzy much time to do that at all because his wife is like Julian is the one. There's absolutely no way Julian's making pancakes.

12:25I don't remember ever Julian making pancakes. If she did, she definitely ordered it in. You know, that's why you go to IHOP.

12:33Lawrence Kim: That's why you go to IHOP, man. Let's be real. $6, unbelievable deal. I would imagine it killing it. How many of those you sell, I mean? How many of those value mills you sell on a day? Can we talk? Jimmy, can we get into the numbers here? You want to do some math? A little Jackie Mason. A little math in it? How many of those you sell? I bet a few of those things. A few of those value mills. We sell a lot of them. But the great part is our menu is so extensive that still around 20 % of our sales comes from value. The rest of it is through what we call our barbell strategy, which is all our other products, which I know you're all familiar with.

13:06You've got to be kicking McDonald's butt on the McWhatever, right? Like why would you go to McDonald's for the mix Mcmuffin if I can go and get the full serve whole

13:17Lawrence Kim: Shebang I hop am I wrong now you're talking about we got great food You know we have great value and great service. That's I'm not like talking to a robot. Oh, I got real person Jimmy six bucks six bucks boom All right, I mentioned six bucks six bucks. All right. All right I want to talk a little bit about off-premise because it is a critical piece of the business. Especially if you don't cook at all. And particularly for family dining. So I would argue that off-premise is no longer just a nice-to-have. Again, it's a must-have. And so talk about off-prem and what you've also done with loyalty because I think you've taken some initiatives that are now taking these digital guests, or rather digital customers, and turning them into fans of the brand and guests of IHOP.

14:05So talk a little bit about what you guys are doing there.

14:07Lawrence Kim: Well, let's be very real, right? The consumer environment is largely focused on digital off-prem loyalty. You know, we have 14 million users on our loyalty app today, but, you know, it's really about the off-prem channel. Delivery, we all know. You know, we're just talking about getting food ordered. It's a big behavior that, you know, every generation is using. But, you know, then you also talk about catering, and that's a big focus for ours. Think about, right, just catering. There's nothing like an IHOP catering out there. You think about breakfast, you think about certain products. But when you get those buttermilk pancakes, our bacon and our eggs served to schools or churches or anything, it's a phenomenal win.

14:43I never even thought about catering for IHOP. Honestly, this is eye-opening because Jimmy and I talk about this all the time. Catering is exploding for restaurants, but I just immediately always go to sandwich platters. You know what I mean?

14:56Lawrence Kim: I was in New York the other weekend. There was an$8 ,000 order. So what did they get? What's in an$8 ,000 catering order from IHOP? I'm just curious. Stacks and stacks and stacks of pancakes. I mean, you're talking about bins, and we got our awesome packaging now. That's all branded. You're talking about platters of bacon, eggs, hash browns. Okay, yeah, I like it. I don't think there is a chance that a catering order coming in from my house couldn't bring smiles to the entire, to every participant. I don't see how it comes in. People go, ah, this is good. This is something special. I think that's leveling up your catering order right there.

15:35Leveling up with pancakes. How about them apples? Catering is a big deal. Let's jump into the whole you went undercover. So did you do like the mustache, the wig, like the whole real undercover boss? Was this really, did you really go undercover or did everyone know that you were going to work in the restaurant?

15:55Lawrence Kim: Yeah, so for the first two months, I asked my boss, can I not be in the office? I'm just going to go to work in restaurants. Was he thinking when you said that you were just going to work from home? I don't know what he thought, but he trusted me, thankfully. I did say this was an in-person job, right? When I hired you? Totally. And there was a lot of things. Was that John? John Payton, yes. So was John like, what are you talking about? I'm coming to work, you're coming to work. Yeah, he trusted me, and I went to the restaurants. But I first, as you mentioned, I worked in the restaurants. I was a cook.

16:26Lawrence Kim: I was a server, night shifts, everything. I wanted to understand the ins and outs of the business. But after I did the two months of training... But when you were doing that, everyone knew who you were. They were training me. I was learning to be a crew. They were showing you exactly how they do everything, knowing that that's education you needed to know. Yeah, and I needed to know, and they were training me. But right after that, I told myself, I'm going to go on these listening tours across the U.S. But before I listened, I wanted to see. So I went to, and now it's been over a year and a half, I've been to over 150 restaurants.

16:56Lawrence Kim: I wear the same black hat. Now, I'd better change it because I think people are realizing it's me. It's you. And I travel the country, and I just, I'm a consumer, right? I'm a guest in a restaurant. So you're like a spotter. I'm just, I'm living the life of a guest. I'm living the life of a consumer. I want to know what the real experience is. That's why yesterday or two days ago, I got here a little early. I went to restaurants, and I wanted to order the food, eat it. I want to make sure everything's awesome. Which I opt you go to? I went here on International. So give me a little rundown. Tell me how to.

17:25You go in.

17:26Lawrence Kim: I go in. What time did you go? So, for breakfast, lunch? I went for, I was there at 11.30 a.m. Okay. It was packed. Packed. You know, first thing I get my. You got to wait a line? I did. I waited a little in line. So, you didn't tell me you were. I never tell them. I'm not freaking waiting a line. I'm the president. No, I'm not. I'm just. So, you're not even Paul Matt. I'm just Lawrence, you know. Just Lawrence the guy with the hat. Yeah, down the street in a hat. All right. Everybody's friend. Everybody's buddy. All right. So, you waited. How long you got to wait? So I waited around seven minutes that day, which is long, but that means the restaurant's busy.

17:53Piss you off a little bit? No, no.

17:54Lawrence Kim: The restaurant was busy. They told me, you know, it's going to be a little wait. But then I got seated. What name do you use? I use Lawrence. What do you mean? They don't go by last name? They just go like large on your cell phone? Yeah. Really? Yeah, it all depends. If I feel they know me, then it's too late already. All right. Go ahead. Keep going. Yeah, and then I order my food. What'd you get? What'd you get? What'd you get? What does the president undercover order at IHOP? I always order one of the$6 value. And you buy yourself? I brought myself breakfast faves, which is two pancakes, two bacon, two eggs.

18:24Lawrence Kim: And I get my eggs over medium because I think that's the hardest one to cook, in my honest opinion. And then I always get one of our LTOs. I got the Dubai chocolate pancakes to see if they made it right. And they made a little error, but I notified them very quickly after I left the restaurant so that they fix it. So you're taking a picture of all your food and they just think you're like an Instagrammer or influencer or something? Probably. Okay. But you ordered a lot of food, it sounds like. I did, yeah, and then I ordered an omelet. Don't they question why is this person who's clearly in very good shape ordering like they just went in America?

18:54He just finished Iron Man. So he's doing like the Michael Phelps. He needs 5 ,000.

18:59Lawrence Kim: If you order 18 orders, I am an Iron Man. Yeah, and you want to get it, right? You want to get it at that 10th, 12-minute mark. And so I have my stopwatch. I time it. Then I taste it. I want to make sure it's made accurately. And then I eat it. And then I ask for the check. I talk to the servers. and then the best part is I get to talk to guests and I give them gift cards. I was going to say, do you pull some sort of special discount card out, or do you pay full price? No, I pay full price, but after I meet with guests, right? And are you using the corporate card? Are you using the corporate card?

19:28Lawrence Kim: I'll give them gift cards out here. Oh, look at this. Look at this. Are you using the corporate Amex when you go? Because that would be a tell. It all depends. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, because you're right. It is a tell. It's a tell. Look, his card says IHOP on it. That's right. Wait a minute. Yeah, all right. But if it's self-pay on the tablet, then I do it. So, Jimmy, this is true underboss. This is undercover. This is a real version. See, I think Shatzi, the restaurants that we own and operate, or rather the restaurants that Shatzi particularly has some managerial oversight of. See, I don't think he could pull that off, what you're doing.

20:04Why not? Well, first, I wouldn't wait online. First of all, because I'm so glad you started with that, because Shatzi has an aversion to a line. There's no way. I'm not waiting in line at a bar mitzvah for sushi. I'm certainly not waiting in line. If he walked into a restaurant which he has a steak in and is on any line, he would immediately barge through and announce it, Monoder, and I'm not waiting. I don't know what's saying on there. I think they know. That's my point, is that you would not allow the establishment to. I would have called that IHOP in Orlando early and be like, look, I'm coming in.

20:35Have a nice table ready for us. And I'll be there at 1130. There you go. What I'm basically trying to say is your humility and the idea of learning would be a challenge only because when Shazzy goes to his restaurant, he wants his table. He wants his drink a certain way. I can go behind the bar and grab a Johnny Walker. He'll go behind the bar. He'll go behind the bar. I don't see you going to the back and making the pancakes. You were very calm, cool, and collective.

21:00Lawrence Kim: No, and there will be times where I will inform them that I'm coming, but that's for a very specific reason. I want to know what the guest is experiencing. Sure, it makes a lot of sense. I like it. You know, I was going to say, Shatzi, we did a podcast at Prosper where there was another, let's say, C-suite executive. He wasn't the CEO at the time, but he did. He was at Prosper. He was his chief operating officer. He did our podcast. Yes. He also has said all the solutions, all the answers are in the restaurants. And he then became the CEO of One Chipotle. That's Mr. Scott Boatwright. So I think I'm at the prediction right now.

21:38Now, here we are. Right. Buy stock in this guy. How many more? You giving this guy another title? Well, I'm just saying. He's the president and chief commercial audience. He's showing up in the stores. Showing up in the stores. He's doing the podcast. Clearly, the correlation between this podcast and soon to be recruited. Are you giving him Applebee's title now? No, no, no. Are you? Are we breaking news right now? I'm just saying, watch out. Watch out. Bum, bum, bum. Breaking news. Breaking news. After this podcast is released, watch how many CEO offers this guy gets. Yeah, no. Lawrence was like, leave me alone.

22:09Let me join my new job. Jimmy, I've got to take a really quick break. Yes. Because we're behind the schedule. Yes. Take a quick break. Don't go anywhere. We're going to be right back. We've got a lot more with Lawrence Kim, president. President of IHOP. Chief commercial officer of Dime Brands, right? Yep. And soon to be taking over a high-level position at Applebee's. But I don't want to get anyone fired. I don't want to have any problems. But soon to be. That was the breaking news. He's shaking his head as no. so we may have to call our fact checkers in on that. But don't go away. Be right back.

22:43Hospitality Hangout presented by our friends at Olo. Be right back. Right back. Thank you. Hey, everybody. I got to tell you, we're going to talk about BILT. BILT Hospitality. Millions of people use BILT every day. That's right. Every day to earn awards on housing and in their neighborhood. But now, now it extends to your restroom. That's where BILT Hospitality comes in. Built Hospitality shapes how guests are recognized and taken care of. Built's restaurant-facing platform is designed specifically for dining operators to drive loyalty with their guests. It combines reservations, guest preferences, VIP management, and payments all into one platform alongside an agentic concierge.

23:27That's right, an AI concierge that thoughtfully designs and executes experiences around your guest tastes, using the latest and greatest in AI technology. When a guest walks in, your team already knows what they like without digging through notes. Built Hospitality works across the entire guest journey. That's right, the entire guest journey from delivering a complimentary course at the right moment, just the right moment, sending a personalized offer that brings them coming back again and again and again. That's right. That's what Built Hospitality is doing. It is allowing you to communicate with your guests and keep them coming back over and over.

24:07Make every guest feel like a regular every time, not just their first time, every time they're a regular. Built Hospitality is available now for restaurant groups everywhere. Learn more at BuiltDining.com backslash hangout. That's builtdining.com backslash hangout. And check out what Built Hospitality is going to do for you and your restaurant.

24:30All right, Jimbo, we are back. Lawrence, we are back. I know you've got to go, but we've got a couple more things to discuss here. Let's do it. First, Jimmy, I want to just say something to you. I think about it all the time. What does Olo stand for? Olo. Well, I did nail the IHOP, but this one's a little harder. Yeah, what is it? On. Line. Ordering. Remember one time we were asked, is it Noah's dog's name? It was a truth or a lie. Yeah. And one of the questions was that people misunderstand. They think it's named for ordering online, but it really was named after Noah's dog. No, I thought it was ordering online.

25:04Right. And then we said, really? He goes, no, I'm asking you. Exactly. No, it's ordering online. It was, yes. Well, because Olo's not a bad dog's name. Olo. You know. Come here, Olo. Come here, Olo. All right. Listen, we got to jump into, but you know, Olo, I got to tell you, I love Olo, Jimmy. You know why? Because it really helps restaurants. It does help restaurants. You know? It's not just online ordering. It's everything. All right, listen. We've got to jump into a little hot or not. Lawrence, are you ready? Let's do it. All right, hot or not. Here we go. Don't think too hard. Just give me what comes to mind.

25:32Ghost kitchens, are they hot or not? Oh, it's off one. Didn't say it was easy. I said hot or not. I'll say not. Ooh. Not. Mocktails. Are mocktails hot or not, Lawrence? Hot. Breakfast for dinner. Is that hot or not, sir? Fire. En fuego. En fuego. Fire. Fire, Jimmy, not hot, fire. Protein everything.

25:54Lawrence Kim: I'm not going to say protein everything, but protein's hot. Protein is hot. No doubt. Lawrence, are we running out of protein? Is there a chance there will be no protein left by the year 2027 and the 27? That's what I've heard from a scientist. This is not me. This is science. I read this in National Geographic last week. I love that magazine. I'd appreciate the intro to that scientist. That'd be awesome. GLP 1s, 2s, 3s, and the soon-to-be-announced 4. Well, the data says it's hot. It is hot. Is that making pancakes smaller? I mean, pancakes are so craveable that even if you're on GLP, you still want them.

26:29Lawrence Kim: The smell. Yeah, IHOP pancakes are the thing. So is it true, is this true, that IHOP pancakes are GLP proof? Is that a fact? Can we say that today? Yeah, no comments. But I will tell you, my friend who's on it, he still comes into IHOP. And he can still eat. He loves them. A big stack. Is drone delivery hot right now? Is that hot? Like, is that getting hotter? Are drones going to start? Is that hot? I think it's TBD. You know, having lived in Asia and seen it come to life in a pretty big way. Right. You know, definitely the potential is massive. Because I just started watching the Lioness season three.

27:04You know this show, Taylor Shadrits and the Lioness? Well, I got to tell you, they got drone wars going on in, like, the Ukraine. So, I mean, if I see, I mean, a thousand of them. So, I can see drone delivery. Just, I mean, just not, there's no cars anymore. Social media driven LTOs. Jimmy, do you know what an LTO stands for? I like that I'm getting quiz today. Limited time offer. LTO. Boom. Okay. What is a social media driven LTO? Is that hot or not?

27:29Lawrence Kim: Yeah. I mean, when you talk about our guests and the social experience of the food, absolutely hot. I mean, it's how we had things like chicken and banana come to life. Chicken and banana. Chicken and banana. I like it. Chicken and banana. So, Jimmy, opine, but keep it short. Short opine. My quick opine is if we were to change the naming of Ghost Kitchens and talked about just the overall, and in the spirit of Olo, the overall digital, the off-premise. If I were to say, if Shazie was that off-premise, would that have been hot or not? Who are you asking? No, no, I'm asking you, sir. You are. That's you.

28:03Because you were saying that. I apologize.

28:05Lawrence Kim: It all depends on the specific channel you're referring to. So I'll give it a neutral. Neutral. Okay. There you go. All right, Jimmy, that was your opine. We have to cut you short. That's all right. And we're going really quick. Brandon Quickfire. Here we go. This is the hottest section of all podcasts. Julie's crying over there. She's so sad. All right, here we go. What is your go-to order at IHOP? I feel like we got that on the Undercover Boss. But give me another. What is the one order you go to? This is your muggy. You're on a deserted island, and you can only have one IHOP order. What is it, President Lawrence Gimm?

28:36Lawrence Kim: Spicy Pobano omelet with protein pancakes. Boom. Mic drop. Boom. Favorite pancake topping. It doesn't even have to be from IHOP. I'm not going to be anywhere. Yeah, like that's going to happen. Well, no, I mean, you can make it yourself. Be like, I wish I had made this. I'm a purist. Just give me butter and maple syrup. Butter and maple syrup. Syrup or whipped cream? I think you just answered it. No doubt. No doubt. Syrup. Yes, I think we got that. What's your Uber rating right now? Amazing. Amazing doesn't mean much to me. What is the number? I'm going to bet he's a 498. Yeah, 499. 499. I'm going to check mine right now.

29:10Lawrence Kim: I feel like I've gone down a little bit. Yeah, I feel like I'm going down. Let me see. But I'm always giving five-star reviews. Mine's going up. I went to 4.76. Oh, I went down so late. 4.98. 4.98? Do you take Uber Locker? You started a five. Wait, you're a 4.98? 4.98. Bingo. You're a 4.98? No, no, no. I guess he'd be a 4.98. I literally guessed 4.98. Nobody's ever asked me that. I keep doing a 4.76. I think it's because I told you. I cancel. I cancel all the time. All right, listen. This is the most important question. how do you take your bagel how does how does the president of ihop a breakfast iconic place take a bagel because the bagels i mean that's like we're talking you probably going for a bagel store right now right yeah i'm just again purist you know it's my wife will make fun of me but i not your face not no she will she'll do it my face yeah i just like it toasted with butter don't say i just like toast but that's delicious and what kind of bagel do you toast with butter yeah it's i i mean It depends on the shop.

30:09Lawrence Kim: Normally, I just get a plain or a wheat. Wow. You don't get all that. See, I would have bet everything. You would have bet everything on what? I would have bet everything on everything. I would have bet the house on everything. See, he's not boring. He's a purist. He's a purist. He really is. I'm a simple guy. Simple guy. And it is a hot dog a sandwich. This pisses Jimmy off. How do you answer that? It is a hot dog a sandwich. Don't lead the witness. It is a hot dog a sandwich. That's a question. No comment on that one. Yeah, that one's for the ages. Let me ask you this. Okay, let me ask you this.

30:37You take a pancake. I take a hot dog or a sausage. I put it in there. I fold it. Is that a sandwich? Hold firm, Lawrence. Hold firm. No, is it a sandwich? And can we put that on the menu? Isn't it pigs in a blanket? Boom. Yeah, I mean, right? So it's a pigs in a blanket. Is that a sandwich?

30:55Lawrence Kim: It's a pigs in a blanket. It's not a sandwich. It's a pancake in a blanket? It's a pancake in a blanket. It's a blanket. What's the last thing that Lawrence Kim Googled or chatted or however you do your searches these days. Gemini'd. What is a Shatzi and a Jimmy? Yeah, I probably did that, but I think the last thing I Googled was a pair of sneakers I was looking at this morning. What'd you get? What'd you get? I was just looking at some Kobe's because I'm a huge Dodger fan. Really? Go Dodgers. Yes, sir. I like it. All right, I got to tell you, Jimbo, I think we've done. Oh, last thing, last thing, because we're in Orlando.

31:29We're in Orlando right now, so I just got to ask. Are you Disney or Universal?

31:36Lawrence Kim: my daughter huge Disney fan and we went way too many times so right now can you ever go too many is there ever too many I would say yes so it's Disney so right now it shouldn't go to Universal one day Jimmy let's wrap it up Lawrence this has been great this has been great you've been on the job for a relatively short period of time and your impact on the brand is already being felt. So congratulations on that. I'm very excited by your BLT AF. And fries. And fries. And you guys, particularly, I love how you, and the spirit of Prosper, you've taken an even bigger seat at the table that is all things Dime Brands.

32:22If any of our listeners want to get in touch with Lawrence Kip directly, you can email the podcast team. We'll make that happen. And what about IHOP.com? Oh, IHOP.com? Right, or go to, yeah, IHOP.com. I can order direct from IHOP.com, right?

32:34Lawrence Kim: IHOP.com. IHOP.com. Go on there right now and just tell them in the code Lawrence sent you, and you get 20 % off. And remember, friends, everything is better. That is not true. That is not true. All right. Thank you. Cheers, everybody.