The Original Pancake House
The Original Pancake House (TOPH) is a chain of pancake houses across the United States. They have franchises in Canada that started in 1958 and still operate to this day. They have recently made 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. 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 and Winnipeg, Manitoba They are known for their breakfast foods; their signature dishes are the Apple Pancake, Dutch Baby, German Pancake and omelets. They have over 100 franchised locations throughout the United States, and are located from Seattle to Edgewater, from Wilmette to Williamsville, from Honolulu to its headquarters in Portland. One of the earliest franchised restaurants opened in Anaheim, California in 1958 and is currently owned by the family  of employees from the original Portland location. 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, which moved to Canada in 1959, spread further internationally in May 2013, when it opened its first overseas location  in Seoul, South Korea. A month later, it expanded to Japan in Kichijōji, Tokyo, Japan. Locations. The Original Pancake House is located in 28 states, with stores in most of the major metropolitan cities including Austin, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, Denver, and Charlotte. A complete list of locations can be found on the website. The Winnipeg franchisee at one point had only one restaurant, but has recently expanded to run four restaurants in the Canadian city under the same name with a similar logo while continuing to feature some of the chain's specialities such as the Dutch baby  pancake and Giant Apple Pancakes.