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History It was founded as The International House of Pancakes in 1958 by Al Lapin, Jr., when the first restaurant opened in Toluca Lake, California. Since then locations have been opened all over the United States and in one Canadian province, British Columbia. It also announced on October 23rd, 2006 that it is expanding into the province of Ontario as well. IHOP is headquartered in Glendale, California. IHOP has officially phased out use of the name, International House of Pancakes. Restaurant designs and Hours The traditional A-frame restaurants are being phased out in favor of more practical designs, but the familiar blue roof remains. The early "IHOP"-only branding era brought about a kangaroo logo, which has now disappeared. Some locations are open 24/7, but some choose to not follow this policy on holidays such as Christmas and New Year's. Service Style and Menu Each table has its own coffee carafe and each of the following flavors of syrup dispensers: blueberry, boysenberry(may have been phased out), butter pecan, and strawberry. There is also service of warm maple-flavored syrup. The unique flavor and texture of the Country Griddle Cakes comes from the Cream of Wheat in the batter. Recently, a major change was introduced in its core menu in an attempt to become more than just a breakfast restaurant. The new menu offers a diverse number of lunch and dinner entrees. The "international" appellation of the chain derives from its three core crepe-style pancakes: "German" (served with lemon butter and lemon), "French" (served with orange marmalade), and "Swedish" (served with lingonberries and lingonberry butter). These fruit-topped crepes are offered with an egg-and-meat plate as the "International Passport Breakfast." Menu offerings such as French toast and Belgian waffles further reinforce the international theme. Promotions Recent advertisement campaigns have featured slogans such as, "Why not eat breakfast for dinner tonight?" Other ad campaigns have revolved around menu items with novel names, such as the "Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity Breakfast," which consists of an egg-and-meat plate and two buttermilk pancakes topped with fresh banana slices or cool strawberry, or warm blueberry, or cinnamon-spiced apple compote. On February 28, 2006, the chain held an annual "National Pancake Day" promotion offering a free "short stack" to each customer. The short stack is three pancakes; the full stack, which was not free, is five. | ||||||||||
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