Breakfast in Georgetown went awry on Friday morning when the ceiling of an iHop restaurant collapsed and injured nine people.
The morning rush was well underway at the 2101 Ralph Ave. eatery when a 10-foot-by-10-foot section of ceiling came down just before 9:30 a.m., officials said. Though the severity of damage was not immediately clear, patrons and employees who were inside the restaurant at the time were walk out on their own.
Paramedics treated nine people — most of whom seemed to be customers — for minor injuries on the scene. Five were transported to local hospitals for further treatment, and the other four refused additional medical attention.
The pancakery, usually open until midnight, will be closed for the foreseeable future, as the Department of Buildings issued a Full Vacate order due to unsafe conditions, an agency spokesperson said. DOB inspectors found that water damage on the building’s roof may have caused the collapse, and hit franchise owner with a violation for failure to maintain the building. The agency also asked that the owner hire a professional engineer to complete a full report on the building’s structural stability.
The iHop had an active construction permit for “minor renovations,” according to DOB, including work on the building’s sign, roof, and exterior lighting, and work was underway at the time of the collapse. The restaurant does not have recent violations related to construction or safety issues, but was cited for work without a permit in 2017.
iHop corporate did not immediately return a request for comment, and Brooklyn Paper was not immediately able to contact the franchise owner.
Update 9/5/2025, 2:06 p.m..: This story has been updated with additional information from the Department of Buildings.
