Quick answer:
IHOP is open on most major holidays, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and Memorial Day, though hours are often reduced on Christmas Day specifically, commonly running around 7am to 10pm instead of full 24-hour service. A small number of locations close entirely on Christmas Day, so confirming with your specific restaurant is the safest move.
Most restaurants either close entirely on major holidays or run on reduced hours that catch people off guard, and IHOP sits somewhere in between, generally open, but with enough location-by-location variation that "IHOP is open on Christmas" isn't quite the full story. This guide breaks down what to actually expect holiday by holiday, rather than just repeating a single blanket answer that might not match your specific restaurant.
Is IHOP Open on Christmas Day?
Yes, at most locations, though this is the holiday with the most variation across the chain. Plenty of families specifically choose IHOP on Christmas morning precisely because other restaurants are closed, which makes it one of the busier mornings of the year at participating locations. Typical reduced hours run somewhere around 7am to 10pm rather than a location's usual full schedule, though some 24-hour restaurants continue operating straight through without any gap. A smaller number of locations do close entirely for the day, so if Christmas specifically is part of your plan, a quick call to your nearest restaurant beats assuming based on what worked last year.
Is IHOP Open on Thanksgiving?
Yes, generally with regular or close-to-regular hours. Thanksgiving morning ranks among the busiest breakfast periods of the year for IHOP, since plenty of people grab breakfast before heading into a day built around a much later, heavier meal. Most locations don't significantly reduce hours on Thanksgiving the way some do on Christmas, though arriving earlier in the morning still helps avoid the heaviest brunch crowd.
What About IHOP's Hours on Easter, Memorial Day, and Other Holidays?
For most other major holidays, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, and New Year's Day, IHOP locations generally maintain regular or only slightly adjusted hours. Easter Sunday specifically tends to bring heavy brunch traffic, similar to Thanksgiving, since it's a popular holiday for a sit-down family meal. New Year's Eve sees some locations adjust evening hours depending on local staffing and demand, while New Year's Day itself usually runs close to a standard schedule.
Why Does IHOP's Holiday Schedule Vary So Much?
The explanation comes back to the same structural fact that shapes IHOP's regular hours too. According to IHOP's own official FAQ, roughly 99% of locations are independently franchised, meaning each restaurant owner sets their own schedule, including holiday adjustments, rather than following one centrally mandated holiday calendar. A location near a busy travel corridor or in a market with strong holiday foot traffic has every incentive to stay open longer, while a quieter suburban location might reasonably choose to close early or scale back staffing on a slower holiday evening.
This is also why you'll find genuinely conflicting information online about IHOP's holiday hours, different locations really do run different schedules, and a general guide like this one can only describe common patterns rather than guarantee what your specific restaurant will do.
How to Confirm Your Specific IHOP Location's Holiday Hours
A few reliable methods, in order of accuracy:
- Call the restaurant directly, the most reliable method, especially close to Christmas and Thanksgiving when variation is highest
- Check IHOP's official restaurant locator, which generally reflects each location's current posted hours
- Look at recent customer reviews mentioning hours, since guests often note in reviews when a location's listed hours didn't match reality on a specific holiday
- Avoid relying solely on general search results, since holiday hours pages often describe typical patterns rather than your specific restaurant's actual current schedule
Visiting IHOP on a Holiday: A Few Practical Notes
If you're planning a holiday visit, timing matters more than usual. Arriving before 8:30am on a busy holiday like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter tends to mean a noticeably shorter wait compared to the late-morning brunch rush, when dining rooms at popular locations can fill up quickly. It's also worth having a backup location in mind, particularly on Christmas Day, in case your first choice turns out to have closed early or isn't running its usual hours that specific year.
In addition to holiday hours, many guests look out for the seasonal IHOP holiday menu. While IHOP doesn't typically run a separate, full-scale thanksgiving menu or christmas menu, the chain frequently introduces festive seasonal specials during November and December. These include popular holiday favorites like pumpkin spice pancakes, gingersnap apple crepes, or themed hot chocolates. So while you won't find a traditional roasted turkey dinner on a dedicated christmas menu, you can certainly expect a variety of sweet holiday-themed breakfast treats to celebrate the season.
