WASHINGTON — Perkins, which started in 1958 as a pancake house in Ohio, is rebranding with a new name and logo, redesigned restaurants and revamped menu items.
Perkins Restaurant and Bakery will now be known as Perkins American Food Co., the chain announced on Tuesday. The 66-year-old company's website and social media channels are already sporting the new look and guests will start seeing the brand refresh beginning next week on signage inside current locations.
Perkins will also be introducing a "vintage fresh" new restaurant design. The first of these redesigned restaurants is scheduled to open in Orlando in late 2024, the company said.
The rebrand includes revamped menu items, more value offerings and the addition of a loyalty program coming soon. The first new menu items will reportedly include a limited time offering called the Decked Out Double Burger.
"Our rebrand is way more than a new logo and descriptor," Toni Ronayne, President of Perkins American Food Co., said in a press release. "This is a declaration of our values, our food and our roots, by showing how modern American hospitality comes to life. We’re always stepping forward and evolving, just like the communities we serve.”
Perkins currently has nearly 300 company-owned and franchise locations across the U.S. and Canada. While Minnesota is home to nearly a sixth of all Perkins restaurants, there are locations in 32 states.
Perkins is also planning to test a new store concept featuring smaller, more fast-casual locations, according to Restaurant Business Online. These would be about 1,500 square feet, compared to the current typical Perkins that measures around 6,500 square feet. The first express prototype location is scheduled top open in Ontario, Canada, this fall, Restaurant Dive reports.
