IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day in the best way possible—with lots and lots of free stacks. The beloved breakfast franchise will host its annual Flip it Forward for Kids event Tuesday, March 12 by serving up free Buttermilk Pancakes and collecting charitable donations for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
With a $4 million fundraising goal, visitors are encouraged to stop by during event hours—7 a.m. and 7 p.m., with select locations remaining open until 10 p.m—to give back. But if you're looking to channel that philanthropic spirit early, IHOP will be accepting in-store cash and check contributions now through March 12 . The International House of Pancakes will also be selling wall stickers as a show of support. Those will retail for $5, and they'll come with a coupon of the same price for future orders of $10 or more.
On February 25, the chain also announced six-year-old Broady Simoncini as the IHOP Kid Chef Champion. The yearly competition invites young aspiring culinary masters to dream up a new pancake creation. Simoncini's OREO Oh My Goodness recipe—which includes two Buttermilk pancakes made with OREO cookies, cupcake icing, and whipped topping—earned him the winning title.
"For the first time ever, the winning Kid Chef creation will be featured on a limited-time menu at IHOP restaurants nationwide," IHOP's head of communications, Stephanie Peterson said in a statement. "Not only are these pancakes delicious, but they also do a lot of good for our charity partners since $1 from the sale of every OREO pancake stack and combo benefits our Free Pancake Day charity partners, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals." That deal stands through April 14.
For Brody and his family, the recipe is sentimental, too. After undergoing open heart surgery and an induced coma—as well as countless other lifesaving procedures—Simoncini required therapy to learn how to eat on his own. The very first solid food he was given: Oreos.
Free stacks AND a chance to give back? Meet you there!
