DineEquity Inc. is looking for the right culinary complement to IHOP pancakes and Applebee’s lunch combos.
The $1.8 billion operator of the pancake house and casual-dining chain will have more money to spend after refinancing its debt and cutting millions in interest expense. DineEquity already announced an increased dividend and share buybacks. The next move will likely be an acquisition of a third restaurant concept to energize one of the most sluggish growth rates in the North American restaurant industry.
