IHOP, Kraft Heinz Team Up To Release Syrup-Flavored Coffee
If you’ve been craving the taste of buttery syrup in your morning coffee, wait no longer: IHOP continues to leverage its licensing arm, this time partnering with The Kraft Heinz Company to introduce a pancake-inspired line of packaged coffee hitting stores today.
The three-SKU line — available in Signature Blend, Chocolate Chocolate Chip and the eye-catching Buttery Syrup — represents another CPG extension for the iconic restaurant chain. In February the company announced a multi-year agreement with Kraft Heinz that CEO Miguel Patricio said was indicative of “how we’re taking new and unexpected approaches within some of our product categories.”
The 100% Arabica blend is sold in ground bags and K-Cup pods for $7.99. If you’re looking for a more “indulgent, sensorial experience,” try this: the IHOP Coffee Mug Diffuser, a rechargeable device that comes pre-filled with Buttery Syrup scented oil. The diffuser is available for $19.99 on Amazon, while supplies last.
“Given Kraft Heinz’s heritage with iconic coffee brands, we’re thrilled to leverage our longstanding category experience to create a premium coffee product available in bags and K-Cup pods,” said Kaitlin Roe, director of marketing at Kraft Heinz, in a press release. “This partnership allows us to combine our scale and capabilities with the power of a fan favorite brand like IHOP to reach new consumers in the market.”
IHOP’s move into branded coffee comes relatively late in the game compared to other food service outlets; Starbucks has been a long-dominant presence on the shelf through its packaged coffee partnership with Nestle, while brands like McCafe, Tim Horton’s, Dunkin’ and Peet’s have also used their awareness to extend onto grocery shelves. The restaurant chain has seen off-premise sales more than double since the pandemic, and coffee may be an intuitive way to grow its family of licensed products, which currently includes pancake mixes, stuffed pastries and flavored syrups. It comes roughly a year after IHOP turned heads with its limited-edition Maple Syrup Cola collaboration with Pepsi.
For Kraft Heinz, the move represents an opportunity to extend its reach in coffee beyond existing brands Maxwell House and Danish import Gervalia.
“With more than 56 million cups of coffee sold per year, it only made sense to bring the joy of our coffee to retailers nationwide with innovative flavors inspired by our best-selling pancakes,” said Kieran Donahue, chief marketing officer at IHOP, in a press release. “Kraft Heinz is the perfect partner to bring our iconic flavors to our guests and help serve up joy each morning with IHOP Coffee as part of our fans’ morning routines.”
