IHOP® Restaurants Announce 2015 Franchisee Of The Year, International Franchisee Of The Year And Vendor Of The Year At Annual Franchise Conference

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International House of Pancakes, LLC

Oct 12, 2015, 07:00 ET

GLENDALE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In front of an audience of more than 800 people from around the globe, IHOP^® Restaurants announced its 2015 "Franchisee of the Year," "International Franchisee of the Year" and "Vendor Partner of the Year" awards this week. The ceremony took place as part of the company's annual International Franchise Conference, where franchisees and IHOP executives gathered to celebrate the brand's success as the leader in the family dining category and collaborate on plans designed to build upon that lead in 2016.

Pictured from left to right: Regional Vice President, East, IHOP, Mark Killeen; President, IHOP, Darren Rebelez; Franchisee of the Year, Mohanad Khmous; DineEquity Chairman & CEO, Julia Stewart; and Regional Vice President, West, IHOP, Charles Scaccia.

Pictured from left to right: President, IHOP, Darren Rebelez; Regional Vice President, East, IHOP, Mark Killeen; District Manager, Family Foods, Jesus Alberto Rodriguez; Brand Manager, Family Foods, Omar Caton; Vice President Food and Beverage, Family Foods, Raul Ramonfaur; Marketing Manager, Family Foods, Alejandra Davila; Chairman & CEO, DineEquity, Julia Stewart; President, International, DineEquity, Daniel del Olmo; and Regional Vice President, West, IHOP, Charles Scaccia.

Pictured from left to right: President, IHOP, Darren Rebelez; Regional Vice President, East, IHOP, Mark Killeen; President & CEO, Centralized Supply Chain Services, Mike Leikam; Vice President & General Manager, Foodservice, Smithfield Farmland Foodservice, Jerry Lamb; Director, National Accounts, Smithfield Farmland Foodservice, Greg Ross; Vice President, National Accounts, Smithfield Farmland Foodservice, Phil Hoffman; Chairman & CEO, DineEquity, Julia Stewart; and Regional Vice President, West, IHOP, Charles Scaccia.

It was Mohanad Khmous, a humble, philanthropic, pancake-loving father of four from Kansas City, Missouri who got the top nod as 2015 "Franchisee of the Year." The award is presented to the franchise owner who best demonstrates IHOP's management and service standards. Candidates are nominated by operations leadership and submitted to a panel of IHOP senior executives. The candidates are then judged on a variety of criteria, including leadership skills, adherence to operations standards and promotion of the IHOP brand. More than 99 percent of all IHOP restaurants are franchised by more than 350 IHOP franchisees.

Monterrey-based Family Foods of Mexico received the "International Franchisee of the Year" award which is presented to the franchise owner outside of the United States who has consistently achieved excellence in their operations, guest satisfaction, sales and commitment to their communities. Family Foods was recognized for their strong sales and operational excellence in bringing the best in IHOP food and hospitality to all of their five restaurants in Mexico.

Kansas City, Missouri-based, Smithfield Farmland Foodservice was recognized as the IHOP "Vendor Partner of the Year." The award distinguishes excellence in service to the system and 2015 nominees were selected from across the food, non-food and distributor categories. Smithfield Farmland Foodservice was acknowledged for their significant contributions in the areas of menu innovation, product testing and strategic sourcing strategies in partnership with IHOP restaurants.

"As we continue to grow the IHOP brand, it is important that we take the time to honor and celebrate those who go above and beyond the call of duty," said Darren Rebelez, president of IHOP. "These award recipients and their team members serve as examples for all our present and future franchise and vendor partners."

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC
For over 57 years, International House of Pancakes, LLC has been a leader and expert in all things breakfast and a leader in family dining. The chain is highly competitive in its menu offering, serving 65 different signature, made-to-order breakfast options as well as meals under 600 calories. As of June 30, 2015, there were 1,658 IHOP restaurants in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the Philippines and the U.S. Virgin Islands. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based International House of Pancakes, LLC and its affiliates. International House of Pancakes, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN).