This is a great story for a Friday. A few weeks ago, a hostess from IHOP went viral when she posted a story about denying Adam Sandler a table at her restaurant. In reality, the hostess, Dayanna Rodas, was simply doing her job and informed Adam and his daughter, whom she did not recognize in their facemasks, that there was a long wait for a table. Adam and his daughter opted not to wait and left. No fuss, no “do you know who I am?!” But when Dayanna realized who he was, she posted some security footage snapshots to TikTok and begged Adam to come back. It was cute.
Last week, Adam posted a joke on Twitter responding to the incident:
For the record, I only left the IHOP because the nice woman told me the all-you-can-eat deal didn’t apply to the milkshakes.
— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) May 4, 2021
IHOP noticed Adam’s tweet, and how much publicity this whole story was generating, and announced a “Milkshake Monday” at several Long Island locations, including the one Adam was originally trying to patronize. And thanks to the marketing geniuses at the Maison de Flapjacks, Dayanna finally got her celebrity meet cute.
The latest IHOP chronicle has gotten a sweet ending.
Adam Sandler and the IHOP hostess who recently went viral on TikTok for unknowingly turning him away have reunited at the same Manhasset, New York, restaurant.
The hostess, Dayanna Rodas, shared another TikTok on Tuesday featuring a series of photos of her with the actor on Monday.
“Couldn’t have been more excited!! Thank you Adam Sandler!” Rodas captioned her slideshow, set to “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors.
Sandler gladly returned to the popular restaurant for the sweet deal. Monday’s milkshake event allowed guests to enjoy bottomless milkshakes from 12 to 8 p.m.
The pancake house also pledged to donate up to $1 per milkshake sold (up to $50,000) to the Comedy Gives Back organization, which Sandler previously supported throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
[From People via Lainey Gossip]
I’m surprised, sometimes, when a moment goes viral because it seems so mundane. Even the initial incident of Daynna telling Adam there was a wait didn’t seem to warrant the attention it got, other than Daynna deserving an Atta girl! for not playing favorites. But when it turned into an on-going, good natured joke, it became fun. It’s a happy ending for Dayanna to get her reunion and for it to result in thousands of dollars to Comedy Gives Back. I love all of this, including that Adam is continuing to prove himself to be a really decent guy. Maybe his earlier ways were just that, sins of the youth.
Plus Friday bonus: Matzo Ball! Is that Matzo? Matzo is 17 now, isn’t he? He looks so young and handsome! I have to get his routine.
Thank u IHOP for Milkshake Monday pic.twitter.com/SsTEK0W0XK
— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) May 11, 2021
@dayanna.rodas Couldn’t have been more excited!! Thank you Adam Sandler! #fyp #ihop #milkshakemonday #adamsandler #awesome #viral
Photo credit: TikTok, Twitter and Avalon
Cute story. Love it!
Aw I like this story. IHOP does always have ridiculously long waits, lol. And good milkshakes.
+1
I’ve never had an IHOP milkshake. Now I wish I’d gotten one on Monday.
I live near where this happened and when I first heard about it all I could think was that he went to the bad IHOP so he made the right call by leaving (I haven’t been there in years, so that may not even be true anymore).
I love this story and the fact that this tiny incident ended up making a difference.
Know what I don’t love, Adam Sandler may have gotten over the sins of his youth but he never got over the FASHION sins of his youth. He has literally been wearing some version of that shorts outfit for 30 years. Does he do it so that he will be recognized? Because I feel like if I saw some guy walking down the street with a dark buzzcut and that outfit, I would automatically assume that it’s Adam Sandler.
Lol. Those boots, oof.
Until recently I worked in the building materials industry; 99% of the guys i met who work at lumber yards dress like this, both on AND off work, lol!
Yeah, this is pretty much every guy at every construction site I go to!
This is a cute story all around, and I love that it ended up being a fundraiser for a good cause.
He has said in interviews that he dresses that way because it’s comfortable and at his age everyone has to go with it now. He told a story about Thanksgiving with family and them asking him to please not wear shorts and he basically told them, “this is how I dress”. Lol.
This is the kind of Friday story we need. Thank you!
Agreed. I have been struggling against the tide of bad/depressing news all week. This was a nice way to wake up.
I Hop! U Hop! We all hop for IHOP!!!
(My sister’s T-ball local team sponsor from a bazillion years ago and I still have that cheer stuck in my head. LOL)
Time to go have some pancakes…and milkshakes…
I love Adam sandler lmao
I feel like he’s gotten a lot better with age, yeah? Like, his movies’ sense of humor is pretty outdated at this point, but he seems to have chilled a decent amount.
Can we stop with the “turned him away” narrative? He was not turned away, he chose to leave when he heard there was a 30 minute wait. To say he was turned away is to say that he should have been moved ahead of all the people who were waiting ahead of him. So, if a celebrity is not given preferential treatment, then they are abused? Adam Sandler cannot be treated like the rest of us. He’s a STAR. Christ on a bike, what a world.