Because somehow it has become my purpose in life to inform you all when you can get free stuff at your favorite chain restaurants and fast food joints, here's a new for you to brighten up your Tuesday: Today, March 3, IHOP is giving away free pancakes between the hours of 7 AM and 10 PM. You heard me: Free pancakes, golden and delicious and dripping with way too much syrup, can be yours today only for the low, low price of… well, technically nothing — but the free pancake promo serves as a fundraiser, as well. So go — have your pancakes and donate to a good cause while you're at it. Everybody wins!
Here's the deal: All day today until 10 PM, you can nab one short stack of buttermilk pancakes at participating IHOP locations absolutely free. In return, all IHOP asks is that you consider donating either to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals or to other designated local charities. A good number to shoot for is the cost of your pancakes (about $5, according to Consumerist), but you can leave however much you like. There's some fine print, of course—the promo entitles you to one free short stack per guest, not an unlimited amount; it's only good for dine-in customers (no free takeout pancakes); and you can't combine it with any other coupons or discounts — but that's to be expected. They do have a business to run, after all, even if they're also into doing good deeds.
Allegedly this promo is in honor of National Pancake Day, which is all well and good — except for one thing: No one really seems to agree when National Pancake Day actually is. This year, IHOP is celebrating it on March 3; however, Google seems to think it was on February 28:
Then, just to make things even more complicated, Food.com puts it as being on September 26 — and it also turns out that blueberry pancakes have a day all their own (January 28, for the curious). But you know what? Whatever. As far I'm concerned, every day is National Pancake Day. Pancakes are awesome. For its part, IHOP has been celebrating National Pancake Day with free pancake fundraisers since 2006; in the decade since, they've raised nearly $16 million for local charities — which is also awesome. There's just a whole lot of awesome going on today, so hoorah for that, right?
Find out more about IHOP's National Pancake Day celebration at its official website, and head here to track down your nearest IHOP location. Happy pancaking!
Images: IHOP/Facebook; Lucia Peters/Google
