Finally, we think we understand what Matchbox 20 was getting at when they sang, "It's 3 A.M. I must be craving pancakes." The IHOP in East Harlem which opened last week includes the chain’s first 24-hour takeout window. “People in Harlem don’t sleep,” explained Corey Lawrence, franchise owner of the pancakery on E. 126th Street and Lexington Avenue.
Lawrence is so taken with the window, he's already thinking about adding one to the W. 135th Street location and keeping the Lexington Avenue restaurant open 24-hours every day. IHOP spokesman Patrick Lenow said the company was also enamored with the idea: “We approved it, absolutely. What’s needed in Chelsea is different than what’s needed in Harlem...it’s about customizing.”
But to that extent, the location has caused some controversy—a group of community members criticize Lawrence for using bulletproof glass for the window, saying it's a diss against the neighborhood. "There is no respect in the takeout," Derrick Taitt, treasurer of the Community Association of the East Harlem Triangle, told DNAInfo. "If the restaurant is going to be open, then it should be open, not just a window." IHOP franchise business consultant Wayne Brown told them the bulletproof glass was necessary for security.
Lawrence not-so-clearly clears things up: “I think it was all a misconception,” he said, clarifying that it’s only partially a “bulletproof window." “It’s nothing against the community,” he said. “We love this community. We want the people to feel welcome.” Hey, if it's good enough for the Man of Steel, it's good enough for us.
