Military Recognition Day Is A Hit!

Hinesville, GA—It was 5 am in the morning and Tammy Clark, the General Manager, arrived to open her IHOP Family Restaurant in Hinesville, GA, to find an army of men waiting to come inside. Forty-two military personnel had come for breakfast. That was the start of a banner day at IHOP #3636. It was the 22nd of October, and the first “Military 22 Day” in Hinesville. 

Conceived by Tammy and her team, Military 22 Day is intended to focus awareness of Military Suicide. The US Military reports that, on average, 22 military service members and vets take their own life daily. This is a statistic that has to change and Tammy believes that awareness brings change.

Every month, on the 22nd of the month, IHOP in Hinesville offers all military personnel and veterans 22% off the entire IHOP Menu all day. The soldiers of Ft. Stewart Army Base in Hinesville embraced the IHOP offer, as hundreds throughout the day came to IHOP to eat and mingle. Tammy Clark estimates over 300 military personnel and vets were served that day. Sales for the restaurant were 55% greater than the same day in 2019—before the COVID pandemic.

“And this was with Ft. Stewart still on lock down,” says Tammy about the crowd of soldiers that greeted her that morning. “They loved that we were doing this for them.” Undaunted by the mass of servicemen and women at the restaurant, IHOP #3636’s loyal customers also came to salute the troops. 

Throughout the day, Tammy and her staff would gather in the dining room to salute the soldiers with a round of applause. At noon and at 6 pm, the American National Anthem was played throughout the restaurant to salute the troops.

“I never dreamed it would be this big,” said Tammy of her promotion. “Now that the word is out, we will be prepared for the next Military 22 Day at IHOP.” 

Military 22 Day was promoted throughout the community using posters, digital outdoor, banners and Facebook posts. Press releases were sent to local Savannah, GA, TV, radio and newspaper media.