KENNEWICK AND PASCO, Wash.- Susan Mendenhall, franchisee of Kennewick and Pasco IHOP restaurants was awarded 2024 IHOP franchisee of the year. Mendenhall made national history when IHOP honored her for the third time, at its 2025 Global Franchisee Conference. With previous wins in 2018 and 2022, she is now the first franchisee in IHOP history to receive the brand’s highest honor three times.
Mendenhall said it is the heart and hospitality of her team that won her this award.
“We have a lot of regulars that come and eat at our restaurant all the time. And if they don’t show up, my people are worried about them and they track them down. And if they’re home sick or they’re in the hospital, they will take their favorite foods to them.”She credits those genuine relationships for her team’s longevity.“They’ve developed these relationships with their guests so that it truly is a family,” she said. “They truly come in and they feel like they’re home. They treat us like their home and we treat them like family.”Mendenhall also announced something IHOP fans will love, the long-awaited return of the restaurant’s syrup caddies.“During COVID, we took all these off the tables,” she said. “But starting in January, these guys are going to make their grand debut back on the tabletop.”With national recognition and a community-centered team behind her, Mendenhall continues to bring joy and perfectly round pancakes to the Tri-Cities.
