IHOP is so convinced its new East Village location is going to be an after-hours hipster hot spot that it has hired a bouncer.
An off-duty cop will stand guard outside the East 14th franchise each night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. in order to keep the bar crowd at bay, manager Michael Carlos said, explaining, “When people have a few drinks, they can get rowdy.”
With the arrival of the pancake shop yesterday as an antidote for the after-midnight munchies, some longtime residents fear the trendy neighborhood will turn Rooty Tooty Fresh ’N Fruity.
“IHOP is bland and belongs in Times Square — it doesn’t make sense in the East Village,” said Niall Gibbons, a bar manager.
“The neighborhood has lots of character, but the character fades when something like this comes along.”