Washington, D.C. — IHOP Corp., the developer, operator and franchisor of IHOP restaurants, announced today that it has distributed over $2 million in Golden Dollar coins as change in the five weeks since the launch of its eight–week joint venture with the U.S. Mint.
The partnership was launched on April 30, 2001, to increase circulation of the coin. To support that effort, IHOP changed the name of its Silver Dollar pancakes to Golden Dollar pancakes for the first time in its 40–year history.
“The Golden Dollars are going like hotcakes in our restaurants. Customers love the Golden Dollar coins and the new Golden Dollar Rooty breakfast,” said Susan Hernandez, IHOP vice president of marketing.
“We at the Mint are very pleased that IHOP is going full throttle in using the Golden Dollar,” said Jay Johnson, Director of the U.S. Mint. “They have made a significant contribution by putting Golden Dollars into more consumers’ hands.”
IHOP’s new Golden Dollar Rooty breakfast and the Golden Dollar are the star attractions in a new commercial, which features a total of four different Rooty Tooty breakfast choices. The promotion also features a sweepstakes promotion in which IHOP will award $10,000 Golden Dollars to the winner.
In addition to the IHOP Golden Dollar partnership, the U.S. Mint has formed successful partnerships with a host of banks, retailers and other corporations numbering over 750 businesses in 230,000 locations to remind consumers the Golden Dollar is not only a beautiful collectable, but also rather an everyday currency meant to be used. In February 2001, Safeway, one of the largest grocery chains, announced its commitment to order and distribute Golden Dollar coins.
About The Golden Dollar
To ensure the coin’s success and as mandated by Congress, the U.S. Mint has been educating businesses and consumers about the Golden Dollar. The U.S. Mint was authorized to produce the new dollar coin by the United States Dollar Coin Act of 1997. Since January 2000, the U.S. Mint has minted over 1 billion Golden Dollars, with more than 800 million already in circulation, more than 10 times the 60 million Susan B. Anthony dollar coins circulated in 1999. Dollar coins have gained popularity in recent years due to their expanded use for purchases in post offices, subways, buses and other coin–operated outlets. Visit the Mint’s Web site for more information about the Golden Dollar at www.usmint.gov . To ensure the coin’s success and as mandated by Congress, the United States Mint has been educating businesses and consumers about the Golden Dollar. The U.S. Mint was authorized to produce the new dollar coin by the United States Dollar Coin Act of 1997. Since the coin’s release in January 2000, over about 800 million Golden Dollars have been put into circulation, more than 10 times the 60 million Susan B. Anthony dollar coins in 1999. Dollar coins have gained popularity in recent years due to their expanded use for purchases in post offices, subways, buses and other coin–operated outlets. Visit the U.S. Mint’s Web site for more information about the Golden Dollar at www.usmint.gov.
MEDIA INFO: U.S. Mint, Mike White, (202) 354–7222 U.S. Mint, Annette Larkin of Fleishman–Hillard, (202) 828–9706 IHOP Corp., Patrick Lenow, (818) 543–4129 # # #