IHOP changes name to International House of Burgers...for now

HOLLYWOOD, CA (FOX 11) - IHOP's decision to re-brand itself as the International House of Burgers caught many by surprise and has been the talk of social media all day long.

But not all is as it seems...

And it was all part of a calculated plan by IHOP executives.

As the sun sets on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard a new franchise is born out of the shadows...

The international house of...Burgers?

Nevielle Panthaky is VP of Menu Development and Innovation for the company.

And he says the re-brand is all an effort to draw attention to these seven new burgers being added to IHOP's menu.

But, there's a catch.

Panthaky tells FOX 11 this Hollywood location is the only one in the country re-branding itself as IHOB and its only temporary.

The new burgers got their own Hollywood treatment earning their own stars on the sidewalks leading up to the grand 'obening' and burger competitors took notice.

Burger King switched its twitter name to 'Pancake King' as a way of poking fun.

Whataburger tweeted that they would never change their name to Whatapancake.

And Wendy's tweeted they wouldn't be afraid of burgers from a place that thought pancakes were too hard.

Ultimately. IHOP may get the last laugh.

As the saying goes any press is good press.

And all of a sudden IHOB is the talk of social media.

On the same day history is being made with a handshake and it's also being made...with a pancake.

IHOP tells FOX 11 they think this re-branding campaign has worked out exactly the way they wanted it to people are talking about them again.

The question is whether or not that will bring in new customers looking to see what its all about.