National Pancake Day 2017 IHOP: How To Get Your Free Stack

It’s that time of the year, and once again IHOP will be offering free pancakes on March 7, 2017 as part of their National Pancake Day fundraiser. The 24-hour breakfast chain will be serving up their signature pancakes por gratis all day long at their locations across North America, The Middle East and Asia.

So what’s the catch? Seemingly, nothing! As long as diners adhere to a few simple rules, free pancakes can be had by all.

The offer runs at participating locations between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and as late as 10 p.m. at selected outlets on Tuesday March 7. All dine-in guests are eligible to receive a free short stack of IHOP’s famous Original Buttermilk Pancakes. The offer is however limited to one stack per person.

While no purchase is necessary to receive free pancakes, IHOP notes on their website that the offer is run as part of a charity campaign and all guests taking part are encouraged to make a donation to one of the chain’s nominated charities in return.

At its locations around the world, IHOP will donate all proceeds to selected children’s charities.

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK! National Pancake Day® is 3/7/17. 1 Free Short Stack. Dine-in. Participation & hours varies https://t.co/U6W5sUR8wR

— IHOP (@IHOP) March 7, 2017

Across the United States and Canada, donations made on National Pancake Day benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, which focuses on the fight against cancers of the blood.

In Mexico, IHOP locations will raise funds for Asocia?ion Mexicana de Ayuda a Niños con Càncer.

Locations in the Philippines will support The Kythe Foundation, a charity that aims to address the needs of chronically ill children.

Since its launch in 2006, IHOP’s National Pancake Day has raised over $24 million for various charities. According to a statement on the company’s website, IHOP hopes to raise $3.5 million for children battling life-threatening illnesses in 2017.

Darren Rebelez, President of IHOP Restaurants speaks on the goal of National Pancake Day.

“IHOP and our franchisees are honored to partner with leading non-profit organizations like Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Shriners Hospitals for Children for our National Pancake Day event and help fight serious childhood illnesses. Year after year, we look forward to celebrating with our guests and fans, and are amazed by their generosity. Every pancake served on IHOP National Pancake Day has a purpose, and every penny raised goes a long way in making a meaningful, and lasting, impact on so many kids and families in our communities.”

Despite the timing, IHOP’s National Pancake Day is not to be confused with International Pancake Day, an annual event held every February in Liberal, Kansas, or Shrove Tuesday, also called Pancake Day, where Christians the world over typically indulge in a pancake dinner before abstaining for 40 days during the period of Lent.

Indeed the pancake chain filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles court in 2010 against International House of Prayer in which it claimed use of the same acronym IHOP by the evangelical mission diluted the chain’s brand and image.

In the lawsuit the chain also claimed the use of the acronym by International House of Prayer confused customers and risked publicly linking the chain with a particular faith or religion. The matter was later settled out of court.

More information on the charities involved and participating locations can be found here.

[Featured Image by Scott Olsen/Getty Images]