Erma Hueneke, and her chef partner, Les Highet, opened the first location of this popular breakfast-friendly pancake chain in Portland, Oregon in 1953. Back then, it was known simply as The Pancake House.

The couple served standard fare but it was their pancakes, made from recipes they collected from around the world, that drew people in. classics included the Dutch Baby, the Apple Pancake and the German Pancake.

Soon, they franchised the name and the recipes and rebranded as the Original Pancake House (OPH). One of the earliest franchised restaurants opened in Anaheim, California, in 1958 and is currently owned by descendants of employees from the original Portland location.

This 1950s menu is from the Murray, Utah, restaurant and shows the range of delicious and interesting pancakes sold.

From a modest start more than seven decades ago, the company has flourished. To date, there are 146 locations of the Original Pancake House in the United States, Japan and South Korea.