second quarter of fiscal year 2026
Filed Aug 5, 2026Dine Brands Global, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Total revenues increased, IHOP comparable domestic same-restaurant sales increased, and the Company maintained fiscal 2026 guidance, while Applebee’s comparable domestic same-restaurant sales declined and GAAP and non-GAAP earnings, adjusted EBITDA, operating cash flow, and adjusted free cash flow were lower than the prior-year periods.
Key metrics
as reported| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenues, second quarter of 2026GAAP | $240.9 million | – | – |
| General and administrative expenses, second quarter of 2026GAAP | $55.6 million | – | – |
| Net income available to common stockholders, second quarter of 2026GAAP | $4.2 million | – | – |
| Earnings per diluted share, second quarter of 2026GAAP | $0.35 | – | – |
| Net income available to common stockholders, as adjusted, second quarter of 2026non-GAAP | $14.0 million | – | – |
| Adjusted earnings per diluted share, second quarter of 2026non-GAAP | $1.16 | – | – |
| Income before income taxes, second quarter of 2026GAAP | $6.0 million | – | – |
| Adjusted EBITDA, second quarter of 2026non-GAAP | $54.2 million | – | – |
| Applebee’s year-over-year comparable domestic same-restaurant sales, second quarter of 2026other | decreased 1.8% | – | decreased 1.8% |
| Applebee’s off-premise sales mix, second quarter of 2026other | 22.8% | – | – |
| IHOP’s year-over-year comparable domestic same-restaurant sales, second quarter of 2026other | increased 1.5% | – | increased 1.5% |
| IHOP off-premise sales mix, second quarter of 2026other | 20.2% | – | – |
| Total revenues, first six months of 2026GAAP | $466.1 million | – | – |
| General and administrative expenses, first six months of 2026GAAP | $108.7 million | – | – |
| Net income available to common stockholders, first six months of 2026GAAP | $11.4 million | – | – |
| Earnings per diluted share, first six months of 2026GAAP | $0.92 | – | – |
| Net income available to common stockholders, as adjusted, first six months of 2026non-GAAP | $25.1 million | – | – |
| Adjusted earnings per diluted share, first six months of 2026non-GAAP | $2.03 | – | – |
| Income before income taxes, first six months of 2026GAAP | $16.1 million | – | – |
| Adjusted EBITDA, first six months of 2026non-GAAP | $105.0 million | – | – |
| Cash flows provided by operating activities, first six months of 2026GAAP | $19.9 million | – | – |
| Adjusted free cash flow, first six months of 2026non-GAAP | $3.7 million | – | – |
| Effective tax rate, six months ended June 28, 2026GAAP | 27.7% | – | – |
| Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, as of June 28, 2026GAAP | approximately $172.8 million | – | – |
| Unrestricted cash, as of June 28, 2026GAAP | approximately $97.5 million | – | – |
| Available borrowing capacity under the 2025 Variable Funding Senior Notes, Class A-1, as of June 28, 2026other | approximately $224.5 million | – | – |
Capital returns
- During the second quarter of 2026, the Company repurchased approximately $7.4 million of its common stock.
- During the second quarter of 2026, the Company paid approximately $2.4 million in dividends.
- On May 14, 2026, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program of up to $100 million in addition to the existing share repurchase program, approved in February 2022.
- As of June 28, 2026, approximately $143.8 million is available for repurchases under existing share repurchase programs.
What drove it
- The increase in total revenues was primarily driven by higher company-owned restaurant sales, mainly attributable to the increase in the number and timing of when the Company acquired restaurants from franchisees.
- Second-quarter general and administrative expense increased due to employee costs for company-owned and dual-brand restaurant initiatives, reorganization costs, and transaction costs from the acquisition of company-owned restaurants.
- The decline in first-half operating cash flow was primarily driven by timing of marketing spend, higher payments related to performance-based compensation and interest, and remodel and development incentives paid to franchisees.
- The decline in first-half adjusted free cash flow was primarily driven by a decrease in operating cash flows and an increase in capital expenditures as the Company invests in company-owned restaurants.
- Development activity by Applebee’s and IHOP during the second quarter of 2026 resulted in 13 new restaurant openings and 30 restaurant closures, which includes nine net dual-branded openings.
Concerns
- Applebee’s year-over-year comparable domestic same-restaurant sales decreased 1.8% for the second quarter of 2026.
- Net income available to common stockholders, earnings per diluted share, net income available to common stockholders as adjusted, adjusted earnings per diluted share, income before income taxes, and adjusted EBITDA were lower than the second quarter of 2025.
- First-half cash flows provided by operating activities and adjusted free cash flow were lower than the first six months of 2025.
- General and administrative expenses increased in both the second quarter and first six months of 2026.
What to watch
- Applebee’s comparable domestic same-restaurant sales performance.
- IHOP comparable domestic same-restaurant sales performance and its stated third consecutive quarter of industry outperformance on both sales and traffic.
- Execution of the everyday value platform, barbell marketing strategy, and guest-experience investments.
- Continued expansion of the dual brand program and development activity.
- Operating cash flow and adjusted free cash flow as the Company invests in company-owned restaurants.
- Fiscal 2026 guidance, which the Company stated it maintained, although the numerical guidance figures were not included in the supplied filing text.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of approximately $172.8 million, of which approximately $97.5 million was unrestricted cash, as of June 28, 2026.
- Available borrowing capacity under the 2025 Variable Funding Senior Notes, Class A-1 was approximately $224.5 million.
- Cash flows provided by operating activities for the first six months of 2026 were $19.9 million, compared to $53.1 million for the first six months of 2025.
- Adjusted free cash flow was $3.7 million for the first six months of 2026, compared to $48.7 million for the first six months of 2025.
Analysis
Dine Brands reported second-quarter total revenues of $240.9 million, compared with $230.8 million in the second quarter of 2025. The Company attributed the increase primarily to higher company-owned restaurant sales, mainly reflecting the number and timing of restaurant acquisitions from franchisees. Underlying brand performance was uneven: Applebee’s comparable domestic same-restaurant sales decreased 1.8%, while IHOP comparable domestic same-restaurant sales increased 1.5%.
Profitability declined despite the higher revenue base. Second-quarter net income available to common stockholders was $4.2 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, compared with $13.2 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, a year earlier. Net income available to common stockholders, as adjusted, was $14.0 million, or adjusted earnings per diluted share of $1.16, compared with $17.4 million and $1.17, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA was $54.2 million compared with $56.2 million, while general and administrative expenses were $55.6 million compared with $50.8 million.
The first-half figures show the same pattern. Total revenues were $466.1 million compared with $445.5 million, but net income available to common stockholders was $11.4 million compared with $21.1 million. First-half adjusted EBITDA was $105.0 million compared with $110.9 million. The Company cited employee costs supporting company-owned and dual-brand initiatives and incentive compensation as drivers of the first-half increase in general and administrative expenses.
Cash generation was a central point of weakness in the supplied results. Cash flows provided by operating activities for the first six months were $19.9 million compared with $53.1 million, and adjusted free cash flow was $3.7 million compared with $48.7 million. The Company cited marketing-spend timing, higher performance-based compensation and interest payments, franchisee remodel and development incentives, and higher capital expenditures for company-owned restaurants.
Capital allocation remained active, with approximately $7.4 million of common stock repurchased and approximately $2.4 million of dividends paid during the second quarter. As of June 28, 2026, the Company reported approximately $172.8 million of total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, approximately $97.5 million of unrestricted cash, and approximately $224.5 million of available borrowing capacity. Management stated that it maintained fiscal 2026 guidance, but the numerical guidance details were not included in the supplied filing text.
Management, verbatim
In the second quarter, our brands made meaningful progress in an environment in which consumers remain focused on affordability and value, highlighted by IHOP’s third consecutive quarter of industry outperformance on both sales and traffic.
John Peyton, Chief Executive Officer of Dine Brands
Across all our brands, our everyday value platform, barbell marketing strategy, and continued investment in the guest experience are working, and we are entering the second half of the year with confidence in our long-term growth initiatives, including the continued expansion of our dual brand program.
John Peyton, Chief Executive Officer of Dine Brands
Our asset-lite model continues to provide the financial flexibility to invest in our brands and we are encouraged by the positive momentum we are seeing across our growth initiatives. We remain committed to our capital allocation priorities and creating long-term value for shareholders.
Vance Chang, Chief Financial Officer of Dine Brands
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Numerical fiscal 2026 guidance figures, including revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, tax rate, and any other guided metrics, were not included in the supplied filing text.
- Previous-release outlook was not provided, so comparison of actual results with prior guidance is unavailable.
- Segment revenue for Applebee’s, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop was not reported in the supplied filing text.
- Gross profit and gross margin were not reported in the supplied filing text.
- Operating income and operating margin were not reported in the supplied filing text.
- Quarterly operating cash flow and quarterly adjusted free cash flow were not reported in the supplied filing text.
- Total debt was not reported in the supplied filing text.
- Prior-quarter comparisons were not reported for the presented metrics.
- Percentage changes were not reported for total revenue, general and administrative expense, income, EPS, adjusted EBITDA, operating cash flow, or adjusted free cash flow.
- Fuzzy’s Taco Shop sales metrics and revenue were not reported in the supplied filing text.
- Restaurant-level margins and franchise versus company-owned sales detail were not reported in the supplied filing text.
AlphaAI analysis generated from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure was cross-checked against the filing text; consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.