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Dine Brands Global, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose on acquired restaurants: Revenue rose $32.8 million to $248.9 million. The company said the increase was primarily driven by a $36.9 million rise in company-owned restaurant revenues from restaurants acquired and opened since Q3 2025. Source
  • Diluted EPS below prior-year quarter: Diluted EPS was $0.37 against $0.48, on net income of $4.5 million against $7.0 million. Income before income taxes was $6.7 million against $10.0 million. Source
  • Applebee’s comparable sales rose 0.9%: Applebee’s domestic same-restaurant sales rose 0.9% year over year. Off-premise sales were 23% of its sales mix in the quarter. Source
  • IHOP comparable sales rose 0.8%: IHOP domestic same-restaurant sales rose 0.8% year over year. Off-premise sales were 21% of its sales mix in the quarter. Source
  • 23 openings and 28 closures: Applebee’s and IHOP recorded 23 new restaurant openings and 28 closures in the quarter, including seven dual-branded openings. Development is adjusted for company-owned restaurants acquired from franchisees. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell: Cash flows provided by operating activities were $37.8 million for the nine months, against $83.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow declined: Adjusted free cash flow was $12.8 million for the nine months against $68.2 million. The company cited lower operating cash flow and higher capital expenditures, which were $31.0 million against $21.3 million. Source
  • Third-quarter buybacks and dividends: The company repurchased about $6.5 million of common stock and paid about $2.4 million in dividends during the third quarter. Source

“This quarter, Applebee’s and IHOP both achieved positive growth due to our everyday value, menu innovation, culturally relevant marketing, and sharper operational execution,”

John Peyton, Chief Executive Officer of Dine Brands

Quarter results and drivers

  • Revenue rose on acquired restaurants: Revenue rose $32.8 million to $248.9 million. The company said the increase was primarily driven by a $36.9 million rise in company-owned restaurant revenues from restaurants acquired and opened since Q3 2025. Source
  • Diluted EPS below prior-year quarter: Diluted EPS was $0.37 against $0.48, on net income of $4.5 million against $7.0 million. Income before income taxes was $6.7 million against $10.0 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA flat, adjusted EPS higher: Adjusted EBITDA was unchanged at $49.0 million. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.82 against $0.73, on adjusted net income of $10.1 million against $10.5 million. Source
  • Nine-month results below prior year: Nine-month diluted EPS was $1.29 against $1.90, adjusted diluted EPS $2.85 against $2.94, and adjusted EBITDA $154.0 million against $159.9 million. Source

Brand comparable sales

  • Applebee’s comparable sales rose 0.9%: Applebee’s domestic same-restaurant sales rose 0.9% year over year. Off-premise sales were 23% of its sales mix in the quarter. Source
  • IHOP comparable sales rose 0.8%: IHOP domestic same-restaurant sales rose 0.8% year over year. Off-premise sales were 21% of its sales mix in the quarter. Source
  • Fuzzy’s domestic sales declined: Fuzzy’s domestic same-restaurant sales change was (2.7)% for the quarter, against (1.5)% in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Franchised weekly unit sales edged up: Domestic average weekly unit sales for franchised restaurants were $38.5 thousand at IHOP and $53.7 thousand at Applebee’s, against $37.8 thousand and $52.6 thousand a year earlier. Source

“We remain confident in the strategy we’ve laid out - building long-term value through consistent execution today and disciplined investment in our future growth.”

John Peyton, Chief Executive Officer of Dine Brands

Restaurant development activity

  • 23 openings and 28 closures: Applebee’s and IHOP recorded 23 new restaurant openings and 28 closures in the quarter, including seven dual-branded openings. Development is adjusted for company-owned restaurants acquired from franchisees. Source
  • Company-owned Applebee’s base expanded: Company-owned Applebee’s restaurants numbered 118 at quarter end, against 59 a year earlier. The 48 restaurants acquired in June 2026 are included in the nine-month count. Source
  • Franchise openings and closures by brand: IHOP franchised openings were 15 and closures 13 in the quarter. Applebee’s franchised openings were 8 and closures 15. Fuzzy’s had one franchised opening and one closure. Source

Operating costs and expenses

  • G&A rose on professional and employee costs: General and administrative expenses were $51.6 million against $50.2 million. The company attributed the rise to professional services fees and employee costs tied to its company-owned and dual-brand investment. Source
  • Nine-month G&A higher on incentive pay: Nine-month general and administrative expenses were $160.3 million against $152.3 million. Management cited higher incentive compensation, linked to headcount and higher performance expectations for the rest of the year. Source
  • Interest expense rose over nine months: Net interest expense was $21.3 million in the quarter against $20.8 million, and $65.1 million for the nine months against $56.3 million. Source
  • Company-owned restaurant costs up: Company-owned restaurant expenses were $66.4 million in the quarter against $32.0 million, and $150.3 million for nine months against $84.9 million. Source

“Our scale, capital structure and asset-light model continue to generate the financial and strategic flexibility for us to invest across the business while returning capital to our shareholders.”

Vance Chang, Chief Financial Officer of Dine Brands

Gross profit, charges and tax

  • Gross profit held near prior levels: Gross profit was $84.7 million against $84.6 million in the quarter, and $263.2 million against $267.1 million for the nine months. Source
  • Pre-opening expenses began this year: Company-owned restaurant preopening expenses were $1.2 million in the quarter and $3.8 million for nine months. The prior-year periods show none. Source
  • Nine-month effective tax rate lower: The effective tax rate was 28.8% for the nine months ended September 27, 2026, against 29.8% for the same period of 2025. Source
  • Closure and impairment charges higher in quarter: Closure and impairment charges were $1.5 million in the quarter against $0.6 million, and $6.2 million for nine months against $7.6 million. Source

Cash flow and borrowing capacity

  • Operating cash flow fell: Cash flows provided by operating activities were $37.8 million for the nine months, against $83.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Timing and incentive payments cited: Management attributed the decrease to timing of marketing spend, higher performance-based compensation and interest payments, and remodel and development incentives paid to franchisees. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow declined: Adjusted free cash flow was $12.8 million for the nine months against $68.2 million. The company cited lower operating cash flow and higher capital expenditures, which were $31.0 million against $21.3 million. Source
  • Cash balance at quarter end: Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash was about $173.6 million at September 27, 2026, of which about $91.1 million was unrestricted cash. Source
  • Variable funding notes capacity available: About $224.5 million was available under the 2025 Variable Funding Senior Notes, Class A-1 at quarter end. Source

Share repurchases and treasury stock

  • Third-quarter buybacks and dividends: The company repurchased about $6.5 million of common stock and paid about $2.4 million in dividends during the third quarter. Source
  • Nine-month repurchases and dividends: For the nine months, repurchases of common stock were $35.9 million against $30.1 million, and dividends paid were $7.2 million against $23.6 million. Source
  • Treasury stock and stockholders’ deficit: Treasury stock at cost was $704.4 million at September 27, 2026, against $689.1 million at December 28, 2025. Total stockholders’ deficit was $293.1 million. Source

Dual-brand footprint and locations

  • Domestic dual-branded locations: The company reported 49 domestic dual-branded IHOP and Applebee’s locations at quarter end, where both concepts operate under two franchise agreements in one location. Source
  • International dual-branded locations: The company reported 41 international dual-branded locations at quarter end, against 23 a year earlier. Source
  • Total locations under counting method: Total restaurant locations were 3,275 against 3,345 a year earlier. Dual-branded restaurants are counted in both the IHOP and Applebee’s figures, and the total reflects that method. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Dual-brand, portfolio and remodel focus: Management named three areas of focus: expanding the dual-brand program, improving the company-owned portfolio, and accelerating the remodel pipeline. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales, Applebee’s domestic same-restaurant Source0.9%
Comparable sales, IHOP domestic same-restaurant Source0.8%
Comparable sales, Fuzzy’s domestic same-restaurant Source(2.7)%
Store openings Source23
Store closures Source28

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it remains confident in the strategy it has laid out, built on consistent execution and disciplined investment. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it is committed to its disciplined capital allocation priorities, with the goal of long-term shareholder value. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.