North Texas Daily

A new IHOP is set to open in Rayzor Ranch on Monday, following the Feb. 17 closure of the location near the UNT campus.

Moving from North Texas Boulevard, the new IHOP will be located at 3200 N. Interstate 35.

The closure of the location adjacent to UNT follows a decision made in August 2017 by the UNT System Board of Regents to authorize the use of eminent domain to acquire the property on which IHOP and a now-demolished McDonald’s formerly operated.

Leigh Anne Gullett, associate director of news for the Division of University Relations, Marketing and Communications said there is “nothing new” to report concerning the university’s plans for the space because although the Board of Regents voted to acquire the property, UNT does not yet have full ownership of it.

“The property does not currently belong to UNT,” Gullett said. “The university remains in ongoing negotiations with the property owners.”

Gullett highlighted the 2013 UNT master plan, which includes goals of extended growth and a streamlining of campus identity along areas next to campus.

As seen in diagrams and artist renderings included in the document, the university has basic plans for an identity element or gateway to be built on the old IHOP site as part of “improved visual and physical connectivity” along the campus’ edge.

The master plan details the campus’ benefit from the addition of “consistent identity” and notes that major gateways would include “provisions for visitors” such as access to visitor parking permits, maps and campus guides for cyclists, campus transit and pedestrians.

IHOP Area Director Scot Thomas said that while “a lot of people” did walk from campus to the former location, he expects an increase in customer use of third-party delivery services and a new facility in a fast-developing area of Denton to make up for the loss in foot traffic.

“It was a lot easier to walk across the street [from campus] to where we were before,” Thomas said. “Now [students] are going to have to work to get to us. I imagine that our Uber sales and DoorDash sales will go up, and [Rayzor Ranch] is a hot new area, so I think we’ll do well here.”

Drawing and painting freshman Henry Evan Thomas said that a late-night trip across the street to the former IHOP location was one of the first memorable experiences he took part in as a new student to campus.

“I went with my art LLC during First Flight week — we decided to go at like three in the morning and it was really fun,” Henry Thomas said. “It was my first sense of community here at UNT.”

Clarinet performance sophomore Besnik Abrashi said she shares Scot Thomas’ sentiment that they likely wouldn’t eat in at the new IHOP as much as they would at the old location.

“Since it’s farther away, I probably won’t be there as often,” Abrashi said. “But as long as it’s open 24 hours, I’m sure I’ll be able to go.”

Featured Image: The IHOP, formally located off I-35E and North Texas Boulevard, has been relocated to Rayzor Ranch. Image by: Dimaggio Escobedo.