Original Pancake House ready to reopen with new look
June 11, 2020
A tornado and a pandemic won’t keep diners away from The Original Pancake House any longer.
The restaurant at Plaza 41, at 41st Street and Kiwanis Avenue, reopens at 6 a.m. Monday.
Diners will discover a new design and slightly expanded space, with what franchisee Janet Eining describes as a “rustic trendy” look.
“I love it,” she said, adding that she has been overwhelmed by guests asking about the restaurant’s return.
“You can’t even believe it. It’s crazy, just absolutely crazy,” she said. “We knew we were popular and a favorite, but we had no idea.”
The restaurant is holding some invitation-only practice hours today and Friday, and will close for the weekend to get ready for what’s expected to be a rush Monday.
There won’t be reservations, but the plan is to take cellphone numbers and contact guests when their tables are ready, allowing them to wait outside or in their vehicles.
“We’re not going to have them congregate in here,” Eining said.
The restaurant has added about 900 square feet during the renovation, which allows for more back-office space and a larger gathering room in the back.
Tables in the main dining room also are a little more spaced out, and “this is exactly the way it’s going to be even if COVID goes way,” Eining said. “For some reason, this room seems bigger than it ever did.”
While the menu is largely the same, some new items have been added. Eining recommends trying the cranberry walnut pancakes.
“With Grandma Jenny’s (caramel) syrup — that is so good,” she said.
She also has been stocking up the kitchen after realizing how much food is needed to bring the restaurant back into full operation.
“We figured out we go through 500 pounds of butter a week, 900 dozen eggs and 540 pounds of bacon,” she said.
The staff preparing all that food hasn’t changed.
“Every single person came back,” Eining said. “We still have one gal working from the first day we opened.”
Hours are the same as before the closure — 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
And while her location of 14 years gets back up and running, Eining also continues to plan for the future. She said she’s still on track to add an east-side location, although no timeline has been set.
