IHOP Partners with Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru to Bring Guests Exclusive Food and Beverage Items, plus a Sweet Kids Eat Free Offer

Minions: The Rise Of Gru Arrives In Theaters July 1

Today, IHOP® announced the launch of the mayhem-loving, mischievous Minions to its menu. From now through August 21, guests are invited to enjoy IHOP’s limited-time summer items inspired by Illumination’s new film, Minions: The Rise of Gru (in theaters July 1). The crave-able menu features eight new food and beverage options and is available at participating IHOP locations nationwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621005123/en/

IHOP Launches New Minions Menu (Graphic: Business Wire)

“Illumination’s Minions have inspired our new menu this summer and have taken over IHOP, reimagining its menu with bananas, cinnamon donut holes, and more bananas,” said Kieran Donahue, Chief Marketing Officer, IHOP. “IHOP is excited to spark joy and bring guests together this summer through a mutual love of film… and a little Minions magic.”

Hitting theaters July 1, the second movie in the Minions franchise features Gru’s journey to become a supervillain, and alongside his Minion companions, he discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

IHOP’s new menu features delicious items including:

• Ba-Ba-Banana Pudding Pancakes: Go bananas! Buttermilk Pancakes filled with fresh banana slices and topped with creamy banana pudding, more banana slices, Nilla® wafer cookie pieces, whipped topping and Minion sprinkles. Available with a choice of egg combo.
• Cinna-Minions: Despicably delicious donut holes tossed with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with cream cheese icing. Available with a choice of egg combo.
• Gru’s Evil Steakburger: All-Natural Black Angus Steakburger piled high with a spicy blend of sauteed jalapenos, Serrano peppers and onion, hickory-smoked bacon, pepper jack cheese, our Sharp Cheddar Mac & Cheese, and mayo. Served on a brioche bun with a choice of side.
• Ba-Ba-Banana Milkshake: Vanilla milkshake blended with fresh banana and Nilla® wafer cookie pieces, and crowned with whipped topping, more cookie pieces, and Minion sprinkles.
• Minion Mango OJ Splasher: Mischievous blend of 100% premium orange juice, mango syrup and Lemon Lime Soda, and garnished with fresh blueberries.
• Cold Gru Iced Coffee: Viciously delicious, 100% Arabica cold brew iced coffee.
• Mischievous Minion Kids Combo: One Ba-Ba-Ba-Banana Pudding Pancake served with one strip bacon, one sausage link and scrambled eggs.
• Cinna-Minions Family Feast: An evilly delicious meal for all your own minions! Basket of new Cinna-Minions (20 pcs) with a side of cream cheese icing for dipping, accompanied by four servings each of scrambled eggs and golden hash browns, eight hickory-smoked bacon strips, and eight pork sausage links.

Beginning today, from 4PM to 10PM, kids 12 and under receive a free entrée from the kid’s menu with the purchase of an adult entrée. * Plus, The International Bank of Pancakes is offering guests the opportunity to earn twice the PanCoins on every item purchased from the Minions menu.**

The limited-time only, Minions-inspired menu is available at participating IHOP restaurants nationwide from June 21 - August 21. For more information or to find the nearest location, visit IHOP.com.

To celebrate the films’ partnership with IHOP, the creative campaign features a custom animated spot created by Illumination, that stars the Minions and their mischievous antics at IHOP. The TV spot opens with a crew of Minions descending upon an IHOP. One of the Minions, Otto falls madly in love with the Ba-Ba-Banana Pudding Pancake leading into a whimsical dream sequence of their romance. The campaign then invites all guests to also fall in love with the new Minions Menu at IHOP. The spot will air nationally on TV, online and on social media beginning today.

*Limit one kids meal per adult entrée order. For a limited time at participating locations. Drinks not included unless specified. Not valid with any other discounts or coupons. Dine-in only.

**For a limited time at participating locations. Account sign-up required. Offer cannot be transferred or reproduced. Restrictions apply.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC

For more than 63 years, IHOP has been a leader, innovator and expert in all things breakfast, any time of day. The chain offers 65 different signature, fresh, made-to-order breakfast options, a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items, including Ultimate Steakburgers. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. As of March 31, 2022, there are 1,751 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam as well as Canada, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama and Peru. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates of Glendale, Calif.-based Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN).

ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80 percent owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.

About Minions: The Rise of Gru

This summer, from the biggest global animated franchise in history, comes the origin story of how the world’s greatest supervillain first met his iconic Minions, forged cinema’s most despicable crew and faced off against the most unstoppable criminal force ever assembled in Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Oscar^® nominee Steve Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement.

It’s not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—this unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons, and strive to execute their first missions.

When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader—legendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar^® winner Alan Arkin)— Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them, and he suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

Featuring more spectacular action than any film in Illumination history and packed with the franchise’s signature subversive humor, Minions: The Rise of Gru stars a thrilling new cast, including, the Vicious 6: Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, whose chain belt doubles as a lethal disco-ball mace; Jean-Claude Van Damme as the nihilistic Jean Clawed, who’s armed (literally) with a giant robotic claw; Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, whose traditional nun’s habit hides her deadly nun-chucks; Dolph Lundgren as Swedish roller-skate champion Svengeance, who dispenses his enemies with spin kicks from his spiked skates; and Danny Trejo as Stronghold, whose giant iron hands are both a menace to others and a burden to him.

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