US restaurant chain Ihop, through master franchisee Filipino company Global Restaurant Concepts, plans to expand in Southeast Asia.

Ihop, which makes pancakes and breakfasts, started its Asian foray when it opened in the Philippines in March 2013. Currently, it has four stores in the country.

“The opening of the first Ihop restaurant in Manila also represented the brand’s first expansion into the Asia Pacific region, where we see enormous growth opportunities,” said Global Restaurant Concepts president and CEO Archie Rodriguez.

The partners plan to open 20 restaurants in the Philippines over the next five years.

Global Restaurant Concepts also plans to take the brand to other Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Expanding Ihop’s presence in this region was something the brand had been interested for some time, but we wanted to ensure we did it in a strategic way with the right franchisee who shared our commitment to excellence in service and quality. And that is our approach for any expansion we undertake,” Rodriguez said.