Industry Restaurants Area served USA Founded 1953 | Headquarters Portland, Oregon, USA Services Franchising Founders Les Highet, Erma Hueneke | |
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Website originalpancakehouse.com | ||
The original pancake house
The Original Pancake House (TOPH) is a chain of pancake houses across the United States with recent advancements into both Japan and South Korea. They follow traditional recipes and ingredients for their pancakes, but have other breakfast items on the menu, as well. They also have a spin-off, Walker Brothers Pancake House, which has a similar menu, but with a formal ambiance.
Contents
The original pancake house overview
History
The first Original Pancake House opened in 1953 in Portland, Oregon, by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke, who collected recipes for their restaurant from around the world. They soon franchised the name and recipes into locations spanning over more than half of the U.S. states. They are known for their breakfast foods; their signature dishes are the Apple Pancake, Dutch Baby, and omelets. They have over 100 franchised locations throughout the United States, and are popular from Seattle to Fort Lee, from Wilmette, to Williamsville, from Honolulu to its headquarters in Portland.
Chef and food critic James Beard, who grew up in Portland, named The Original Pancake House as one of the top ten "best" in America. In 1999, the Original Pancake House in Portland received a James Beard Foundation Award as an American Classic. OPH was also named one of USA Today's Top 10 Pancake Restaurants in the Nation according to the company website, and the Hyde Park, Chicago location was well known as Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's favorite breakfast eatery. On one occasion, he conducted an interview in the restaurant with anchorman Walter Jacobson.
The chain became international in May 2013, when it opened its first overseas location in Seoul, South Korea. A month later, it expanded to Japan in Kichijoji, Tokyo, Japan.
Menu items
Some of the more popular items at OPH are their 49er flapjack, which is a sourdough crepe, and their Eggs Benedict. They also sell a German pancake and smaller Dutch Baby, as well as a Dutch Apple pancake. The Dutch Apple pancake, a baked pie-shaped dish, is also available to purchase frozen to take home. It is also available online via Lou Malnati's Tastes of Chicago.
Locations
The Original Pancake House is located in 28 states, with stores in most of the major metropolitan cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Denver, and Charlotte. A complete list of locations can be found on the website.