A single building at 1500 MacArthur Drive in Alexandria will soon serve up both riblets and short stacks, as a dual-branded Applebee's and IHOP restaurant prepares to open next month. The nearly 5,000-square-foot space will house two distinct dining areas, one for each brand, letting guests order breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites from both menus without leaving the building.
According to the Rapides Parish Journal, the combined restaurant will offer menu items including the Loaded Buffalo Chicken Omelette and the Ultimate Breakfast Burger, pulling signature dishes from both chains into one kitchen. The restaurant will also pour specialty cocktails such as a Bloody Mary and a Good Morning Mimosa, as reported by KALB, with customers required to be at least 21 years old to purchase or consume alcohol.
Michael Pettus, managing principal of Big River Restaurants, said the company is excited to welcome guests to a new dining experience, per the Rapides Parish Journal. The hybrid format pairs Applebee's familiar bar-and-grill setup with IHOP's all-day breakfast lineup inside a single footprint at the MacArthur Drive address, where Applebee's has long operated, according to its own Alexandria careers page.
Hours Stretch From Breakfast to Last Call
The restaurant plans to open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., the station notes. Friday and Saturday hours extend to midnight, while Sunday service runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to KLAX-TV. That schedule effectively merges IHOP's early-morning crowd with Applebee's late-night bar traffic under one roof.
About 50 New Jobs Up for Grabs
The opening is expected to create about 50 new jobs in the Alexandria area, the station's report states. Available positions include management, culinary, server and guest service roles. Applicants can apply online or attend open hiring events scheduled for Nov. 2-6, the same report indicates.
Part of a Fast-Growing National Rollout
Alexandria's new restaurant is joining a rapidly expanding national trend. The very first dual-branded Applebee's and IHOP location in the country opened in Seguin, Texas, in February 2025, according to USA Today. Since then, parent company Dine Brands has said it expects at least 50 dual-brand restaurant openings in 2026, which would bring its U.S. portfolio to nearly 80 locations by year's end.
Dine Brands has reported that 32 dual-brand restaurants had already opened in the United States, including three company-owned locations, with nine more under construction, per USA Today. The company has said these combined restaurants generate roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times higher revenue than standalone locations, and its franchising arm describes the concept as giving guests two unique dining experiences under one roof, according to IHOP's franchise site.
Other markets have already gotten a preview of what Alexandria can expect. A dual-branded Applebee's-IHOP in La Grange, Kentucky, occupies 5,300 square feet and is expected to employ about 85 people, with guests able to order from both menus throughout the day, according to the Louisville Business First. A similar concept opened in Hawthorne, New York, developed by Doherty Enterprises, a major Applebee's franchisee that described the pairing as blending the cozy, warm Applebee's vibe with the bright, energetic IHOP environment, per USA Today's earlier report.
