IHOP celebrated its grand opening Thursday morning.
The new restaurant is located at the site of the former 10 Acre Truck Stop off Highway 401 on Wallbridge-Loyalist Road.
The site was sold to K2 Group in May 2021.
“When we acquired the site, we looked at all the reviews and we realized how important the diner was for the community of Belleville,” Managing Director of K2 Group, Thomas Jacob, tells media members.
“That’s when we said we should bring something truly special.”
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis with President and President of K2 Group Kailash Kasal. April 20, 2023. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
Jacob said at that point the company partnered with Dine Brands International to bring an IHOP location to Belleville.
He says so far the response has been overwhelming.
“We get messages every day, at least five to 10 messages every day, saying thank you guys. Great job. We see the level of love and detail,” Jacob said.
“A big part of what we wanted to do with this IHOP is we didn’t want it to lose its soul. It’s (being a part) of that community with it being a local spot.”
The restaurant has already gone through a soft opening as the group looked to iron out some kinks with the restaurant.
“We’re working on ramping up to 24 hours as quickly as possible. We haven’t done that yet because we want to make sure we don’t compromise the quality of our plates that come out as we ramp up to 24 hours,” Jacob said.
The new IHOP will employ over 60 staff and seat up to 184 guests.
Plates of pancakes being served at the new IHOP location. April 20, 2023. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
