A sort-of-new Applebee’s/IHOP restaurant has opened in the spot where the previous restaurant suddenly closed in Delafield in early 2025.
What’s notably different is the menu, combining both food brands: Applebee’s bar and grill choices and IHOP’s pancakes and breakfast options.
What’s the same is the location: 3100 Golf Road, the same Nagawaukee Shopping Center address where Applebee’s operated until the eatery was evicted, to workers’ and guests’ surprise, in March 2025.
Dine Brands, the name of the corporate entity that controls Applebee’s and IHOP, had earlier announced a new strategy to combine both iconic businesses at locations throughout the country, as reported by USA Today in March 2024.
Applebee’s/IHOP explains changes in its dining experience
The local franchisee did not formally announce the reopening of the City of Delafield restaurant, but the news spread on social media – particularly Facebook and Nextdoor – that the location officially opened Dec. 9, after a soft opening in November and a special-invitation event on Dec. 7.
However, the Applebee’s/IHOP website for the Delafield restaurant explained what guests can expect when they walk through the door.
“This unique dining experience allows guests to enjoy the best of both worlds in one convenient location,” the website states. “Upon entering the restaurant in Delafield, WI, guests can choose between two distinct dining areas: one for IHOP and one for Applebee’s. This setup ensures that diners can savor IHOP’s world-famous breakfast offerings and Applebee’s diverse menu of casual dining favorites and alcoholic beverages, all in one visit.”
To reflect the need to serve a breakfast crowd, the restaurant’s hours have changed. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Property owner Nagawaukee MZL LLC and applicant Tom Vavra, on behalf of Applebee’s, submitted plans in August that indicated the Golf Road restaurant would be remodeled to prepare for the opening of the dual-brand service.
A Menomonee Falls location of Applebee’s/IHOP also opened on Dec. 9.
Applebee’s has faced rash of area closings recently
Previously operated by franchisee SBG Apple North VII LLC, the Delafield restaurant is one of several Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grills in the Milwaukee area that closed, though under different circumstances.
In the Delafield case, Nagawaukee MZL, a New York-based property owner, took steps to evict the franchisee in mid-February, winning a default judgment March 3, for unpaid rent. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office carried out the formal eviction on March 25, catching many by surprise, including employees there and the city’s mayor, Tim Aicher.
The West Allis Applebee’s at 2865 S. 108th St., also owned by SBG Apple North, also closed as a result of an eviction. The Pewaukee location along Capitol Drive closed in 2024 and was redeveloped. The Oak Creek location at 7135 S. 13th St. closed for a while due to “health concerns” in late 2024.
Other locations that have closed since 2000 include sites in Brookfield and New Berlin.
The current operator of the Delafield Applebee’s/IHOP was not immediately confirmed. Efforts to reach the restaurant by phone were unsuccessful on Dec. 9.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Applebee’s, now combined with IHOP, reopens in Delafield
Reporting by Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
