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Julia Stewart's bio
DineEquity CEO and Chairwoman Julia Stewart
Julia Stewart
As a 16-year-old high-schooler waiting tables at IHOP, Julia Stewart never thought that one day she would run the chain of restaurants. In a few decades' time, she would be doing exactly that.
As the CEO, Stewart breathed new life into the beleaguered chain. One strategy she employed was selling IHOP restaurants to franchisees, which upped the company's free cash flow.
Other, smaller changes she instituted include selling orange juice not made from concentrate, introducing new menu items like cream-cheese stuffed French toast, and introducing better coffee. As a result, the Glendale, Calif.-based company reported $45 million in profits in 2006, and its stock price has as much as doubled since Stewart took the reins.
In 2001, IHOP announced its acquisition of Applebee's International Inc. The product of the buyout is DineEquity Inc., which runs over 3,300 Applebee's and IHOP restaurants. Since the deal, Stewart has focused on resuscitating the grill-and-bar brand.
Stewart earned her bachelor's degree in communications at San Diego State University. After stints at restaurant chains Carl's Jr., Burger King, Taco Bell, Stuart Anderson's Black Angus and Applebee's, the San Diego native joined IHOP in 2001 and became its CEO in 2002.
543 Rosemont Dr
Broadway, VA 221815
May 21, 2009
IHOP Restaurant
109 University Blvd
540 438 1651
Harrisonburg, VA 22801-3747
Dear Mr. Sauer
My wife has serious medical issues. For years when we visit the MD’s in the area of your restaurant we usually stop at your restaurant to have brunch. We select 2 pancakes, 2 eggs and 2 sausages and coffee. For us, the quantity of food works out about right. Today our server told us that she could not allow us to share one entrée.
I seriously considered leaving. However, my wife has ambulatory problems and we were seated, so we each ordered the smallest quantity of food on the menu knowing that the quantity would be about 1/3 too much. Sure enough, when we had all that we wanted to eat, about 1/3 of the delivered food was uneaten. This is an unacceptable set of circumstances. Neither my waist nor my pocketbook can support this waste.
On the way home, I thought of three ways to resolve this issue:
1 Have a bacon egg and cheese and cinnamon biscuit at Hardee’s
2 Have a crispy chicken sandwich and blizzard at Dairy Queen
3 Order 2 pancakes 2 eggs and 2 sausages at IHOP. I’ll drink my coffee while my wife eats the pancakes. I’ll pay the bill and put the uneaten food into a take-it-home box. While finishing my coffee, I’ll eat the take-it-home.
I have not decided which of these I’ll do, probably all three as the desire changes.
Sincerely
Fred E. Peele
CC: Julia Stewart CEO DineEquity
