IHOP is doing what IHOP does every March.
It’s giving away pancakes.
On Tuesday, March 3, the chain will offer a free short stack of its classic buttermilk pancakes in honor of National Pancake Day. The deal runs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for dine-in guests. Other flavors aren’t included, and the deal is only limited to the original buttermilk.
The offer is tied to IHOP’s loyalty program, but anyone sitting down at a participating restaurant during those hours can also take part.
There’s a catch, though it’s familiar by now. Guests will be invited to make a donation to Feeding America while they’re there. The pancakes are free, while the ask is optional.
March doesn’t stop at one giveaway, though.
Through March 30, IHOP is also offering free bottomless buttermilk pancakes with select breakfast combos. Order something like steak and eggs or a breakfast sampler, and the refills keep coming.
The timing puts IHOP right in the middle of a breakfast-heavy week.
Today (March 2), McDonald’s is offering an Egg McMuffin or Sausage McMuffin with Egg for $1 through its app during breakfast hours, limited to one per customer.
Chick-fil-A has been running its own breakfast promotion, giving away Chicken Biscuits to members of its loyalty program through February 28, with a limit of one per guest before 10:30 a.m.
National Pancake Day, though, belongs to IHOP.
For one day, the griddles will be busy, the syrup bottles will get a workout, and a steady line of customers will file in for a short stack that tastes exactly the way it has for years.
Sources: IHOP, IHOP National Pancake Day, People