IHOP Hosts Annual National Pancake Day, With Free Short Stacks In Fundraising Endeavor

IHOP, the restaurant chain subsidiary of Dine Brands Global Inc. DIN, is hosting its annual National Pancake Day celebration on March 1 by offering customers a free short stacks of buttermilk pancakes.

What Happens: From 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local times, IHOP’s U.S. restaurants will make its short stacks of buttermilk pancakes available for in-restaurant orders. There is a limit of one order per person.

In lieu of customer payment, IHOP will accept credit card or cash donations for three nonprofits: Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Shriners Children's.

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Why It Happens: March 1 is chosen for IHOP’s National Pancake Day because the date is known as Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday and Shrove Tuesday, the happy hedonist celebration that comes before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and a Christian holy day designed for prayer and fasting.

For IHOP, March 1 is also the conclusion of its first “Month of Giving” to raise funds for the three aforementioned charities.

“We know that our restaurants are an integral part of the communities that we serve, and for more than 63 years, we’ve prided ourselves on giving back to where our guests live, work, and play,” said Kieran Donahue, chief marketing officer at IHOP. “Our Month of Giving event has an important purpose, as every dollar raised during IHOP’s National Pancake Day campaign stays local and supports the nearest children’s hospital associated with the charity partners.”

Photo: Courtesy of Cinema Crazed.