Neighbors of the International House Of Pancakes on 14th Street can breathe easy this week--the overwhelming, nauseating stench of bacon issuing from the breakfast chain will disappear soon thanks to a new $42,000 odor-killing machine.
"It knocks down virtually all of the odor and almost all the noise,” owner Ed Sannepieco told The Local East Village of the apparatus while taking a break from an IHOP conference in Washington, D.C.
Installation of the "smog hog"--which could involve the use of a crane-- will close down the 24/7 restaurant for a whole 12 hours. “It’s a commitment,” Sannepieco said. “And one that we’re glad to make.”
The bacon stink has been haunting neighbors since the IHOP opened in September. "I am an owner of one of the apartments that gets the brunt of the smell," one nearby resident recently wrote to EV Grieve. "I literally had to move out and find someone to rent the apartment to. No one would buy it. Everybody said it smells like bacon. The new tenant says it doesn't bother him so much, but I don't think he is home too much — plus he's been there for winter only, we'll see what happens when he starts opening his windows."
Meanwhile, IHOPS are expanding across New Pork City, and will offer up calorie-packed meals, like the Stuffed French Toast Combo, at bargain prices, and mainly to drunk people at 4AM. It's yet to be seen if the new IHOPs will also require bouncers.