International House of Delays

Move over, Veritas waffles. The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) is finally opening in Harvard Square. Or so we were told in June, until construction delays pushed the opening date back to late October. But Halloween has come and gone, and we want our Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘n Fruity. What gives?

“They’re currently installing the kitchen equipment and they’re looking toward the middle of November,” says franchisee attorney Vincent J. Panico. “The people that audited the equipment originally ran into financial difficulties and had to find a new supplier.”

When and if IHOP ever opens, Crimson crazies will have another spot for late-night drunken revelry besides Felipes and Nochs. But late-late night partiers will still be without a place to crash.

In March, The Crimson reported that IHOP was denied a license to stay open until 4 a.m. by the Cambridge License Commission, and instead must close by 2 a.m..

Panico says he is unsure if the franchise owner, Mark Jestis, will ever apply again for a later license. However, if this were to happen, the Harvard Square Defense Fund (HSDF), a group of concerned citizens who work to preserve Harvard Square’s independent businesses and community atmosphere, would spring into action.

“The policy of the defense fund has always been to oppose licenses after 2 a.m. This would be no exception,” says Jinny Nathans, President of the HSDF.

HSDF Vice-President G. Pebble Gifford writes in an e-mail that thanks to Cambridge’s fast food zoning ordinance and its strict regulations involving litter and disturbance issues, most national fast food chains have not tried to enter Harvard Square.

So the Harvard Square IHOP, if it arrives this century, will be as good as it gets.