Living with Bacon: IHOP’s Odor Endures

bacon diaries

Earlier this month, The Local learned that the installation of an odor-eating ventilation unit at IHOP had been delayed, raising concerns among neighbors that the bacon smell emanating from the restaurant was there to stay. In the meantime Sandy Berger, whose apartment overlooks the roof of the International House of Putrid Odors, as she calls it, continues to maintain her diary of olfactory impressions.

Sandy Berger’s Bacon Dairy, Page Three

Sandy Berger Could it be? Are these workers preparing for installation of the ventilation unit.

Thursday, June 14

My wake-up call came at 7 a.m. this morning in the form of bacon grease from IHOP — not my alarm clock! And it was still going strong at 8:42 a.m. When I came back home at 1:30 p.m. I could smell that lunch was in full swing, but it was bearable.

Friday, June 15

At 8 a.m. there were no smells, but four hours later the bacon grease was definitely on the burner! It is now 3 p.m. and the smell still lingers.

Saturday, June 16 through Monday, June 18

Away from the apartment.

Tuesday, June 19

It must be dinner time because the bacon grease odors are beginning to permeate the air.

Shortly after filing her latest series of diary entries, Ms. Berger passed along the above photo and the accompanying note.

Tuesday, June 26

I am seeing some kind of activity today for the first time. It seems workers are trying to dig up some dirt which is next to the A.C. unit and near the ventilator unit. There are some things that look like steel beams lying around.

Might the photo depict workers preparing to install the ventilation unit? The Local inquired about the activity with an IHOP spokeswoman and will report back the moment we get a response.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this post referred to the ventilation unit as a “smog-hog.” That reference has been deleted since the term is a brand name and Smog Hog says that it did not manufacture the unit in question.