It’s something that would make the Lunch Lady smile — all-you-can-drink milkshakes at International House of Pancakes locations across Long Island on Monday. It might even make Adam Sandler, the comedian who made her famous in a Saturday Night Live skit, smile also, given his tongue-in-cheek tweet saying he left a Long Island IHOP location after he was told there would not be any all-you-can-eat milkshakes. The promotion, announced just last Friday, means that patrons must pay for their first milkshake, but after that, they will be free. It will run on Monday from 12-8 p.m. eastern time.
The “Milkshake Monday” deal is the pancake house’s response to Sandler, who tweeted about a viral TikTok video showing him being told by the hostess, Dayanna Rodas, at IHOP in Manhasset that there was a 30-minute wait for a table. The waitress had no idea it was him and later poked fun at security footage of herself turning the star away, along with a picture of herself in clown makeup. The video rapidly went viral, and now has been viewed over 20,000 times on the social media platform.
Sandler responded on Twitter on Tuesday: “For the record, I only left IHOP because the nice woman told me the all-you-can-eat deal didn’t apply to milkshakes.” For those IHOP milkshake fans who don’t live in New Jersey, across the U.S., IHOP is offering $1 each for every milkshake sold on “Milkshake Monday,” up to $50,000 to Comedy Gives Back, a nonprofit safety-net group that helps struggling comedians who have lost their income due to the COVID-19 pandemic closures of live venues, according to a news release. Comedy Gives Back addresses the needs of comedians through crisis relief and provides access to mental health and chemical dependency treatment, officials said.
IHOP’s management takes guest suggestions “very seriously” to “continually shake things up and satisfy all palates with our signature commitment to ihospitality,” said Kieran Donahue, chief managing officer of IHOP. “There is no better way to kick off the week and enjoy our craveable menu than with a house-made milkshake, or as many as you can drink,” Donohue said. “For more than 62 years, we have welcomed everyone – famous and familiar – to pancake, smile, and laugh together under our blue roof.”
Amber J. Lawson, chief executive officer of Comedy Gives Back, said the organization’s leadership is “thrilled to celebrate ‘Milkshake Monday’ at IHOP in the spirit of a cheeky smile for a good cause.” “A delicious meal of pancakes and milkshakes can make you happy any time of day, and while we could all use a laugh right about now, some could use a lot more,” she said, adding, “A handful of comedians are household names, but the majority are not; we are grateful for IHOP’s support to help working comedians stay afloat in this challenging time.”
Those looking for the creamy refreshment will not be disappointed on Monday. IHOP management said their house-made milkshakes are made with hand-scooped, premium ice cream, as well as vanilla, real milk, and whipped topping. They come in four “mouthwatering” flavors, including Hershey’s Chocolate, Strawberry made with real fruit, OREO Cookie, and Vanilla, according to the news release.
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