Japanese Soufflé Pancake Chain’s Soho Debut Drew Long Lines Over the Weekend

Tons of people line up for the opening of Japanese ‘miracle’ pancake restaurant Flipper’s

At least 100 people showed up to popular Japanese chain Flipper’s on opening day Friday — waiting hours in line to get their hands on the chain’s “miracle pancakes,” soufflé pancakes that jiggle and wobble at the lightest touch. The line stretched down the block, with many people waiting up to four hours for a seat.

The New York City location is the chain’s first in the U.S. The restaurant at 337 West Broadway near Grand Street has 2,500 square feet spread across two floors, with the first floor acting as a grab-and-go cafe and seating on the second floor. Restaurant owner Ben Wang tells Gothamist the crowd was expected, as the chain’s openings in Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong have had a similar turnout. Japanese-style pancakes have been rising in popularity in NYC, with people lining up for options available at Taiyaki in Chinatown and Hi-Collar in the East Village.

In other news

— Italian-American cafe Ciao, Gloria opens tomorrow in Prospect Heights, a project backed by the cofounder of popular Red Hook dessert shop Baked. The cafe serves breakfast until 5 p.m., including avocado toast, a BEC, and salty and sweet ricotta on grilled seeded sourdough. The lunch menu has sandwiches like a prosciutto and fig option, and a variety of pastries from croissants to pies to pumpkin cinnamon rolls are also available.

Ciao, Gloria [Official]

— Some NYC restaurants say they are still cutting staff hours and even closing due to the minimum wage hike; longtime Upper West Side taco spot Gabriela’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar is closing because it couldn’t keep up with the higher costs, and it’s not alone. Earlier this year, other restaurants said they are slimming down service in response.

— Police are cracking down on street food vendors with special veteran licenses after discovering that many of the carts aren’t run by vets on a day-to-day.

— Brooklyn Brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest on October 1, featuring food from New York butcher shop J&E Smallgoods. Tickets can be purchased here.

— Lol: