Why IHOP Just Made A Huge Menu Change

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and asked for a substitution on a menu item, only to be told "we don't do that?" Though some eateries still hold fast to their "no substitutions" rules, these days restaurants seem to be making it easier than ever to customize their menus. There are a ridiculous number of ways you can customize a Five Guys burger (more than 250,000!), and you'll never run out of ways to customize a Burger King Whopper.

Why are so many places making the move toward menu flexibility? According to one expert who spoke to QSR, it's because they're trying to attract Millenial customers, who "don't want the same old thing, but would rather do their own thing." IHOP, the breakfast chain restaurant, seems to be warming up to the idea. The company just announced a new "Choice" menu, and it seems catered toward Millenial customers who like to switch things up when they go out to eat.

IHOP studied its customers' ordering behaviors and realized that 80% of diners tinkered with the composition of their meals at the restaurant (via Restaurant Dive). That's one of the reasons why it decided to unveil its new Choice menu, which features customizable griddle combos, burgers, and chicken sandwiches. The Choice menu will be available to diners at any time of day. It will also offer two seasonal options available through October 31: a pumpkin spice pancakes combo, and Scary Face pancakes that come with edible decorations (via Forbes).

Another reason why IHOP may have launched this new Choice menu is to give customers more value. Combos seem like a better value than a la carte options, and saving while dining out is more important to diners right now than ever because of inflation. Considering the fact that the price of eggs is up 47% year-over-year, it makes sense that a breakfast joint would want to offer its customers as much perceived value as possible (via Small Biz Trends).