A 1980 Postcard Brings Back Memories of IHOP in South Portland

You're probably very familiar with IHOP, which stands for the International House of Pancakes, but do you remember what it looked like in South Portland in 1980?

IHOP Postcard From the Past

I love looking for old things on ebay. I rarely buy anything, but it's nice to just take a peek at what's for sale. Usually, I'm looking for things from my childhood, like that time I found the Fun Fountain Clown Sprinkler we had as a kid.

My latest discovery was a postcard from the International House of Pancakes on Main Mall Road.

1980 International House of Pancakes

This is at 391 Maine Mall Road, which was an area with restaurants, a gas station, and a movie theater, all near the Maine Mall. I have memories of seeing The Empire Strikes Back at that theater in 1980. To this day, it's still the best Star Wars movie.

Sadly, that's all gone now. What's in its place?

CarMax

A giant CarMax car dealership was built on the site after Pizza Hut went out of business, the Exxon station closed, the theater closed, and IHOP moved down Maine Mall Road to its current location with its modern look at 195 Maine Mall Road across from the mall side plaza.

READ MORE: Start Your Day by Visiting These 21 Breakfast Places in Maine

Progress right? At least we have the memories of what was, thanks to an eBay seller. The postcard is for sale if you want it. As of this writing, eBay seller The Postcard Dude is listing it.