Pancake Bliss

I was talking recently to a reader (and supporter) who shared with me the untimely death of Al Kallis. The name may not be familiar, but his story will surely resonate with most of you.

Al (and his wife Trudy) was an early investor in the International House of Pancakes. Back in 1958 the restaurant, founded by Al and Jerry Lapin (according to the IHOP website), opened in Toluca Lake. Al and Trudy guaranteed loans for the restaurant and if it failed they’d be bankrupt. However, as history shows, IHOP didn’t fail and in fact expanded through franchising. In 1991, IHOP moved its headquarters to Glendale.

Most everyone has an IHOP story ­– whether it’s fondly remembering their first Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity® breakfast or thinking about the iconic A-frame building easily recognized throughout the world, IHOP touched just about everyone. According to Al’s obituary, “honored at the 50th anniversary of IHOP, Al and Trudy were deeply moved when former employees and franchisees, including minorities and immigrants, credited IHOP for enabling them to realize their American dream.”

I did a little more digging on Al Kallis and found some additional interesting facts about him.

For example, Al attended Art Center School in Los Angeles – later known as Art Center College of Design where I worked from 1996 to 2000. He was an illustrator and created iconic posters for cult films like “Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman” and “Beach Blanket Bingo.”

He and Trudy were philanthropists. They supported organizations that included the American Film Institute, The Young Musicians Foundation, Children’s Charity Variety Club and The Los Angeles Children’s Museum.

He was also a filmmaker. According to his bio, which was drafted in 2019, his production of “The Making of Amber Waves” won The American Film Festival’s Blue Ribbon Award. The film is included in the National Archives and has been utilized by the Hollywood Director’s Guild, UCLA, Northridge College and many other film schools as part of the curriculum. He also spearheaded several other documentaries.

What an amazing individual! Apparently, he and Trudy were married for nearly 70 years (she died in 2020) and in his obituary it was noted that “he partook eagerly in the banquet of experiences this world offers with passion and joy.”

An inspiring person to be sure.

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Can you tell that school is back in session? Even if you don’t have a student at one of our local schools, if you drive you know what time of year it is. My husband (who attended Rosemont Middle School as a kid) and I stopped by Rosemont yesterday morning and the only thing he could say was, “I don’t remember it being nearly this crowded when I went here!”

I had to laugh when I saw one person had actually driven onto the curb when dropping off his/her student.

I guess they all were eager for the start of the new school year.