IHOP is opening a new type of restaurant in Ontario that will be a Canadian first

IHOP is coming to Belleville.

For Ontario-based pancake revellers, news just broke that there will be one more reason to get out of the house: popular 24/7 breakfast chain IHOP is set to open its first-ever truck stop venue in nearby Belleville on April 20.

This is the latest in the American brand's plans to expand across Ontario, which promised, at one point, 15 locations in seven years.

While the growth has slowed down understandably due to the pandemic, IHOP does have six locations in Niagara Falls and one in Brampton.

Now, K2 Group, the Canadian investment firm that has partnered with IHOP's owners Dine Brands International has unveiled that they've transformed the iconic former 10 Acre Truck Stop in Belleville, Ontario to an IHOP – the latest in the brand's growth into non-traditional spaces.

"The 10 Acre Truck Stop being one of Canada's largest truck stops, has quickly become an iconic stop for truckers and those on a road trip,” Kailash Kasal, President of K2 Group tells blogTO.

The sprawling new venue offers over 4,000 square feet to enjoy IHOP's world-famous buttermilk pancakes and more from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It's found just off Highway 401, Exit 538 on Wallbridge Loyalist Road.

Grand opening celebrations are slated for April 20 which will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony plus "fun activities for truckers and families" planned throughout the weekend.

For an IHOP closer to home, blogTO did learn from the PR firm for K2 Group that the group has plans to grow the IHOP brand in Ontario, focusing on cities that are near universities.

They are currently sourcing non-traditional developments in Toronto, aiming to bring IHOP to Torontonians within the next year or two.

However, these won't be brick-and-mortar operations, but "innovative spaces." What that means, we'll find out soon enough.