Orange County Register

IHOP recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with an “It Happens at IHOP” contest, a nation-wide call for IHOP fans to share their favorite memories at the restaurant from the past 50 years. Kevin Bunch, a resident of Irvine, was awarded runner-up, and received a $100 gift card for sharing his story about his school buddies.

Bunch and his five closest friends were commiserating over coffee and pancakes at their local Goleta, CA IHOP, just days before their graduation from school in Santa Barbara. In order to ensure that they kept in touch, Bunch and his friends formed “The International Flapjack Society,” or I.F.S, which forced them to meet for breakfast four times a year at a local IHOP. Three and a half years later, Bunch and the I.F.S. are still meeting for breakfast; the now 19-member group has even expanded to actual “international” status, with members in Germany and Mexico.

“We’ve had pancakes together at IHOP from San Diego to Philadelphia,” said Bunch in his entry’s concluding sentences. “And even though we have moved away from each other geographically, we all look forward to our chance each quarter to meet again.”

Bunche, one of the 5 runner-ups, received a $100 gift card. The grand prize winner, Scott Reader from New Jersey, received the Grand Prize of free pancakes for life.

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