Latest news with #InternationalHouseofPancakes
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Public town halls shut down by confrontation shy members of Georgia congressional delegation
A man is arrested during an April town hall for Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Fiery town halls have become the norm, and some lawmakers are opting to avoid them altogether. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Congressman Barry Loudermilk recently walked into an International House of Pancakes in Woodstock for a meeting with constituents. Loudermilk was the featured speaker for a weekly breakfast meeting series for local conservatives. But Loudermilk says he has no plans to take part in a traditional town hall meeting with constituents. 'We don't right now,' he said in the IHOP parking lot. 'I'm out in the community continuously doing things like this meeting. The town halls we're doing have been pretty open. So we just haven't had any of those old traditional town halls because they have not been productive. It's usually just a chance for people to come in and take over and scream and holler and so we found it more productive to do more smaller venues such as what I'm doing here.' Some of Loudermilk's Georgia Congressional colleagues have first-hand experience with disruptive town hall participants. A tense Roswell town hall for Republican Congressman Rich McCormick of Suwanee helped spur GOP leadership to call on members to tamp down in-person town halls. Last month, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome went ahead with plans for an Acworth town hall, which turned Jerry Springer-esque when multiple protesters were dragged out, shocked with a Taser and arrested. Georgia's Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock faced hecklers at a recent Atlanta town hall, who shouted over him for several minutes in opposition of the senator's vote to sell weapons for Israel to use in Gaza, and fellow Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff faced civil but tense questioning from fired federal workers who questioned his commitment to fighting for them. Similar scenes have played out across the country. Still, it would be hard to characterize the IHOP get-together as 'pretty open.' It was not advertised and an organizer refused to open the meeting to a reporter. In an email to invitees, the organizer, who did not respond to a request to comment, described the breakfasts as 'a shelter in the midst of the storm, a sanctuary, a place of refuge where political points are often fine-tuned, where opposing views are often shared by those elected and candidates alike. We lift high the banner of ethical behavior and encourage building a good reputation upon merit.' 'When, 'It's time to begin,' freewheeling conversations gives way to 'updates,' from Elected and Appointed Officials, Candidates, Lobbyists, Special Groups and Committees, Political Parties, eventually: everyone who wants to share with positive input. So, if you are a positive thinking, politically motivated conservative and looking for a place of encouragement come join us!' the email continues. Earlier this month, Cherokee County Democrats held a mock town hall featuring a cardboard cutout of Waldo, the hard-to-find world traveler from the Where's Waldo books, with Loudermilk's face. Waleska resident Genevieve Hutchings said she's been trying to get in touch with Loudermilk for months and wants him to host a public town hall. 'That's divisive for our county and for our country, if that's his stance, that he's only going to meet the people that agree with him,' she said. 'And how could he possibly govern in a way that's going to be helpful to all of those constituents if he doesn't hear from all of them?' Hutchings was one of a few dozen protesters in downtown Woodstock on a rainy weekend as part of the progressive Indivisible movement, which has hosted larger protests outside Loudermilk's office. Further down the road, Woodstock resident John Thomas held a one-man counterprotest, holding up a sign with the Trump-Vance logo atop a pair of garden gnomes. Thomas said he expects to see members of Congress host town halls as well. 'America was founded on, you know, stump speeches and people standing out there and taking questions and answering questions from all sides. And how else can we, Democrats, Republicans, Independents alike, get a message out and get people to understand our side of the debate, unless we're out there talking to both sides of the aisle?' The Recorder reached out to the offices of each of Georgia's 14 members of Congress about recent or future town halls. Representatives for Greene, and Democrats Nikema Williams of Atlanta and Hank Johnson of Lithonia responded. Greene's office cited her recent Acworth town hall and said she hosts multiple such events per year. Williams' staff sent a list of recent public events, including a traditional town hall in March and other smaller-scale meetings with constituents. Johnson's office said the Congressman has been hosting regular in-person and streamed events, with the next public town hall scheduled for May 28 in Lawrenceville. With most of Georgia's congressional districts safe for either party, politicians are unlikely to face a real threat from the other side, said University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock. That means there's no real incentive for most politicians to face the heat from constituents on the opposite political wavelength. 'I think that would be their assessment, that there's nothing to be gained from it, that the people who would show up and protest are not going to vote for them under any circumstance,' he said. 'Therefore, they figure that their credentials are good for the kinds of voters who would show up in a Republican primary – if they were to get primaried, and certainly incumbents often are not, or at least don't draw serious opponents. So I don't think they're going to be worried about the fact that there may be some media story saying, 'why aren't they holding town halls?'' Democratic members of Congress dealt with the same dynamic when President Barack Obama was in the White House, said Kennesaw State University political science professor and former Cobb County GOP Chair Jason Shepherd. 'This has been kind of going on for a few years now, and Democrats saw this with Obamacare back in 2010 with Democrat members of Congress being shouted down,' he said. 'Now we see it with Republicans, and it makes it impossible for actual constituents, because let's face it, a lot of times the people who show up to town halls and disrupt things don't even live in the district, can't even vote for the member of Congress.' Shepherd said it makes sense for politicians to try to avoid shouty town halls or to replace them with streamed events with pre-screened questions, but doing so is anti-democratic. 'This is part of our democracy,' he said. 'You're not only going up in front of voters every two or six years, but these are your bosses. These are the people whose taxes pay your paycheck.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Miami Herald
10-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Popular breakfast chain franchise files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The casual restaurant sector has faced economic hardship for the last five years since the Covid-19 pandemic devastated the industry. As the pandemic faded away, other problems hampered the industry, such as rising costs of labor, food, and supplies from inflation, increased interest rates on debt, and changing attitudes of consumers on dining out. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Restaurant chains have closed hundreds of locations in restructurings in just the last year with plans to close many more this year. Several dining chains have filed for bankruptcy protection and, in some of those cases, also closed restaurants. Related: Popular pizza chain franchisee files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Among the most prominent restaurant chains to file for bankruptcy was Red Lobster, which filed for Chapter 11 on May 19, 2024, and closed 120 restaurants but still operates about 545 locations. TGI Friday's was another iconic restaurant chain that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Nov. 2, 2024, to sell company assets, reduce its restaurant footprint, and reject unfavorable leases and contracts. The company had about 600 franchises worldwide, including 213 U.S. locations, before it filed for bankruptcy. The first half of 2025 has begun with a couple of popular restaurant and bar chain bankruptcies, as Addison, Texas-based "gastrobar" chain Bar Louie's parent BLH TopCo LLC filed for Chapter 11 on March 26 to reorganize and close locations. Bar Louie, which had as many as 130 locations in 2020, currently has 48 locations. And popular casual dining chain Hooters of America, which features scantily clad servers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 31 to reorganize its business after struggling financially over the last year. The dining chain planned to sell over 100 of its locations to a franchisee-led buyer group. Popular breakfast chain Denny's Corp. in February revealed plans to close several of its restaurant locations through the end of 2025. More bankruptcies: Popular restaurant and bar chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcyPopular athletic shoe chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcyAward-winning cosmetics brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Denny's said during its fourth quarter 2024 earnings call that it planned to close 70 to 90 lower-volume restaurant locations in 2025, after shuttering 88 locations in 2024. Over a year ago, Denny's franchisee Denn-Ohio, which operated 10 locations in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, filed for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 31, 2023, suffering the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and other economic issues. International House of Pancakes, which has 1,698 locations in the U.S. according to ScrapeHero, has closed about 92 locations since June 30, 2023. IHOP's Frequently Asked Questions page on its website claimed the chain had 1,790 locations mid-year in 2023. Finally, Exton Operating Group Inc., which operates an International House of Pancakes franchise in Exton, Pa., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 24, 2025, to reorganize its business Related: Another popular whiskey brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Burlington, N.J.-based debtor, which operates as TA IHOP, listed $100,000 to $500,000 in assets and liabilities in its petition filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Dine Brands Global IHOP restaurant chain franchisee indicated funds will be available to pay unsecured creditors. The franchise restaurant, located in the Festival at Exton shopping center, offers classic IHOP breakfast items, such as pancakes and waffles, as well as other American diner fare. Related: Troubled trucking companies file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Los Angeles Times
27-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
New Huntington Beach complex offers comfort for formerly homeless seniors
Janet Di Pietro used to spend a lot of time in the parking lot of the International House of Pancakes in Costa Mesa. Di Pietro's plan had nothing to do with breakfast, and everything to do with survival. With people not taking vacations, her business as an in-home pet sitter fell apart soon after the coronavirus pandemic began. She went from couch surfing at friends' houses to sleeping in that IHOP parking lot in her truck. She had suddenly become homeless. 'The city of Costa Mesa kept tapping on my window,' Di Pietro said. 'They said, 'If we catch you here one more time, we're going to impound your vehicle and possibly take your dog to the animal shelter.' That's when I realized I needed to ask for help.' After staying for more than three years at Yale Navigation Center in Santa Ana, Di Pietro, 64, finally has a place she can call home. She's one of the residents at the new Pelican Harbor senior apartments in Huntington Beach, which held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 20. The 42-unit complex, set on an L-shaped lot near the 5 Points intersection of Beach Boulevard and Main Street, is for low-income and formerly homeless seniors who are at least 62 years old. It's a joint venture of Irvine-based Jamboree Housing Corporation and USA Properties Fund, in partnership with the city of Huntington Beach and County of Orange. 'Many seniors we serve have endured a lifetime of hardship, often without the support others may take for granted,' Jamboree President/CEO Laura Archuleta said. 'Pelican Harbor is more than just housing. Delivering high-quality housing and services means giving them safety, dignity and opportunity to thrive.' The four-story complex features all one-bedroom apartments and surrounds a 4,000-square-foot community space. There's also a 2,300-square-foot outdoor courtyard and pet park, which is good news for Di Pietro's Chihuahua. Pelican Harbor reserves 33 permanent supportive housing apartments for seniors experiencing homelessness, Jamboree spokeswoman Marissa Felicano said, with the other nine for low-income seniors. Residents earn 30-50% of the area median income — between $33,150 and $55,250 annually — and will pay no more than 30% of that income toward rent. Rent at 33 of the apartments will be subsidized using Project-Based Vouchers, secured by the county through the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. The $39.2-million facility, which had its groundbreaking in 2022, was funded by both public and private partners. Huntington Beach contributed $2.8 million in HOME funds provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as $300,000 of city inclusionary funds. Among the other funding sources, which included millions of dollars in loans, Jamboree and the County of Orange secured $5.8 million in No Place Like Home funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The Orange County Health Care Agency brought in $3.6 million in Mental Health Services Act funding for seniors receiving supportive services at Pelican Harbor. Barry Kielsmeier, chairman of Beach Cities Interfaith Services, said his organization funded the $1,000 security deposit for each of the apartments. 'We believe in helping people pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but there are times that people don't have any bootstraps,' Kielsmeier said. 'We wanted to take that last speed bump and make sure those folks had a place to live, and that they were not going to remain homeless because they couldn't come up with a security deposit. Sometimes as little as $1,000, having a debt or something like that, can keep people on the street. It's insane, but that's the reality we live with.' Thirty-three of the 43 apartments will be supported by Project-Based Vouchers from the County of Orange, through the U.S. Department of Housing and Development. Di Pietro is certainly grateful, even as she has dealt with cancer along with her homelessness in recent years. She said she was diagnosed with terminal Stage 2 ovarian cancer in 2020, and has undergone 70 chemotherapy treatments through Hoag. She was originally projected to have five years to live after her diagnosis, but she'll pass that mark in May when she turns 65, she said. Di Pietro spoke at last week's ribbon-cutting ceremony. She said her new apartment will extend her life and give her back a sense of normalcy. 'With chemo, you get free haircuts, but if I had hair I could let my hair down,' she said. 'It's been the most wonderful experience.' Part of her mission now is to speak out about some misconceptions about homelessness. 'The more I can give my story and how I fell from grace, I hope to make it more real for all of those people out there,' Di Pietro said. 'So when they see us on the street, they don't look away. There's a lot of good, there's a lot of bad in being homeless. While I'm here, I want to try and put a ding in that stigma. We're not all criminals, we're not all bad people. We've just fallen from grace, but I'm going to keep going. 'I want to scream from the tallest mountain, 'Just give us a chance!''
The Independent
04-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
IHOP is giving away free pancakes today — here's how to get them
IHOP (International House of Pancakes) restaurants all around the U.S. are offering a special deal in honor of National Pancake Day. On Tuesday, March 4, the food chain is giving a free short stack of Buttermilk Pancakes to customers. However, they can only get the free pancakes if they dine in an IHOP restaurant between 7 am and 8 pm. Although no minimum purchase is required for customers to get the freebie, there's a limit of one stack of free pancakes per customer. With more than 1,600 IHOP restaurants in the U.S., you can find your local spot for free pancakes using the chain's online store locator. IHOP's latest pancake deal comes days after the company broke the Guinness World Records title for the most pancakes served in eight hours. The company broke the record at Santa Monica Pier on Saturday (March 1) when its team served 25,629 pancakes to 8,543 guests. 'National Pancake Day is a holiday our fans have come to know and love, which is why we wanted to make the celebration even bigger for our 20th anniversary with 20K for Pancake Day," Lenna Yamamichi, vice president of brand creative at IHOP, said in a statement before Saturday's event. In honor of how many pancakes were served on Saturday, IHOP donated $1 for every pancake to Feeding America, resulting in $25,629 going directly toward the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Along with IHOP, Denny's is also celebrating National Pancake Day today. While pancakes aren't being offered for free, customers can plan for the chain's 'All You Can Eat Pancakes' deal when dining in the restaurant. The endless amount of pancakes, with the first round being three buttermilk pancakes, costs just $6. Last month, Denny's announced that some of its restaurants were adding a surcharge to its popular dishes because of rising egg prices caused by the current spread of bird flue in the U.S. 'Due to the nationwide egg shortage and increased cost of eggs, some of our restaurant locations will need to temporarily add a surcharge to every meal that includes eggs,' the company said in a statement emailed to The Independent on February 24. However, Denny's said it would continue to look for ways to provide options for customers on its menu.
