DineEquity, which owns and operates IHOP and Applebee’s restaurants, is seeking to become more customer-centric.
DineEquity CEO Julia Stewart was very excited during the company’s Feb. 25 fourth-quarter earnings conference call.
“2014 was a stellar year in many ways for DineEquity, and I’m very pleased to report that we finished on strong note,” she said, according to Seeking Alpha. “Our two iconic brands achieved positive domestic same-restaurant sales for both the fourth quarter and full year.”
Stewart wants to enhance franchisee restaurant development and make processes even more customer-centric.
“We are committed to taking our programs to the next levels,” she said. “At IHOP, our plan for growth revolves around the execution of our four core brand strategy. These include further improving in restaurant operations. We are continually raising the bar on operating standards and introduced improved capability to assess the quality of our guest experience. We are also working closely with franchisees, 
who do not yet meet the higher standard, continuing to evolve our differentiated brand positioning and communicating more effectively, building on our momentum to drive even more loyalty from our guest.”
For the fourth quarter, IHOP sales rose 6.1%, which marks the highest quarterly increase since the first quarter of 2004. For Applebee’s, fourth-quarter sales increased 2.8%, representing the highest gain since the second quarter of 2011.
“We completed a great deal of comprehensive research and developed a new long-term vision for the brand (Applebee’s) and, while we’re pleased with Applebee’s performance in 2014, there is certainly more work to be done,” Stewart explained. “Priority No. 1 is to drive higher growth from our existing brands. We are in the long-term brand building business. We have a lot of positives to build on at both brands as the fourth quarter’s results have shown. We are further positioning Applebee’s at an even more differentiated way, so stay tuned for more.”