NEW YORK -- IHOP, which teased a name change to IHOb earlier this month, says the "b" is to promote its burger menu.

The pancake chain has been coy about whether the name change is permanent, saying Monday that the change was "for the time being." Pressed for details, the company would not give an end date for IHOb but referred to the "tongue-in-cheek name change" and said it was tied to the summer burger promotion.

The company known for breakfast already had burgers on the menu, but is adding a line made of Black Angus ground beef. It started using the IHOb name on social media, on its website and for in-store promotional materials.

The hints of a name change had spurred guesses -- and some disappointment -- on social media.