Avoiding the Pancake Paparazzi; Just In Time For National Pancake Day, IHOP Survey Reveals More U.S. Adults Would Like To Eat Breakfast with Family and Friends than Hollywood A-listers

GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 2006--Despite the obsession with pop culture and celebrity gossip that dominates the media, more U.S. adults, the majority of whom eat pancakes (94%), would like to have breakfast with a personal acquaintance (86%) than with a Hollywood A-lister (17%).

In celebration of a centuries-old tradition with a modern twist, National Pancake Day, Tuesday, February 28, 2006, IHOP commissioned Harris Interactive(R) to conduct a survey among over 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older and found that most adults (86%) would most like to have breakfast with a special someone, whether a spouse or significant other (68%), a family member (57%) or a best friend (49%).

IHOP's National Pancake Day celebration on Tuesday, February 28th from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. will include 1,200 restaurants giving away its signature product, a free short stack of pancakes! In exchange, guests will be invited to make a donation to First Book, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing underprivileged children with their first books, or other worthy causes.

"This survey proves what IHOP has known all along -- meals at IHOP bring people closer to their families and friends," said Carolyn O'Keefe, Chief Marketing Officer for IHOP. "We're uniting everyone on National Pancake Day to celebrate with their loved ones and help support their local communities."

Other fun survey facts:

-- Move over, Hollywood! Aside from personal acquaintances (86%), many U.S. adults would like to have breakfast with a historical figure such as Thomas Jefferson (25%), world leader such as Vladimir Putin (19%) or a professional athlete like Tiger Woods (14%).

-- Pancakes are not just for breakfast anymore! Seven in 10 pancake eaters (70%) have eaten pancakes for dinner, and nearly one in five (18%) have eaten pancakes on a date. (Desperate housewife Eva Longoria went to an IHOP on her first date with current beau, San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker.)

-- Pancakes speak volumes about personality! More than one in two pancake eaters (53%) appear to be vivacious and carefree, saying they completely cover and soak their pancakes in syrup or butter. More than one in four (28%) appear to be cautious and reserved, saying they add toppings carefully so as not to overwhelm their pancakes.

-- Pancakes can be mood indicators! Over one in five pancake eaters (22%) try different toppings depending on their mood.

About the Survey

Harris Interactive(R) fielded the online survey on behalf of the International House of Pancakes, Inc. between February 14 and 16, 2006 among a nationwide sample of 2,096 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older, of whom 1,966 eat pancakes. The data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and propensity to be online. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall sample of adults have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Sampling error for sub-sample results is higher and varies. This online sample is not a probability sample.

About IHOP

The IHOP family restaurant chain has been serving a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner selections for more than 45 years. Offering more than 14 types of pancakes as well as omelettes, breakfast specialties, burgers, sandwiches, chicken and steaks, IHOP's diverse menu appeals to people of all ages. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based IHOP Corp. As of December 31, 2005, the end of IHOP's fourth quarter, there were 1,242 IHOP restaurants in 48 states and Canada. IHOP Corp. common stock is listed and traded on the NYSE under the symbol "IHP." For more information, call the Company's Restaurant Support Center at 818-240-6055 or visit the Company's Website located at www.ihop.com.

About First Book

First Book is a national nonprofit organization that gives new books to children in need. In neighborhoods across the country, First Book Advisory Boards unite leaders from all sectors of the community to identify the most effective community-based literacy programs reaching children living at or below the poverty line and provide them with First Book grants of free books and educational materials. The First Book National Book Bank, a subsidiary program of First Book, is the first centralized system that enables publishers to donate books and educational materials online to reach millions of children who need them the most. Recently named one of the top 25 social entrepreneurs in the country by Fast Company, First Book has distributed more than 40 million new books to children in need in hundreds of communities nationwide. To learn more about First Book, please visit www.FirstBook.org.

About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, N.Y., is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies.