Al Lapin Jr.

Al Lapin Jr., an entrepreneur who co-founded the International House of Pancakes with a single restaurant in 1958, has died. He was 76.

Mr. Lapin died of cancer June 16 at USC/Norris Cancer Center in Los Angeles, his son Randy said.

The son of a professional drummer, Mr. Lapin ran a series of coffee carts in Los Angeles when he took notice of fast-food chains such as McDonald ' s flourishing in Southern California and decided to open his own restaurant.

Convinced that he could market pancakes and waffles to the masses, he and his younger brother Jerry started the original IHOP in Los Angeles ' Toluca Lake section with $25,000.

The restaurant stood out for its chalet theme, boysenberry and other flavored syrups, blue roof and unusual pancake dishes such as Tahitian Orange Pineapple, which were created by a Cordon Bleu chef.

According to his son, Mr. Lapin said his own favorite pancakes were " the ones that sell. "

Mr. Lapin, president and chairman, expanded the chain in the 1960s through franchising and eventually built up a conglomerate that included Orange Julius and other food chains, as well as retailers such as Michael ' s Artist & Engineering Supplies.

The public corporation, International Industries Inc., had more than 1,100 outlets, and by 1970 Mr. Lapin ' s holdings were worth more than $40 million.

By 1973, however, a combination of tightening credit, overexpansion and recession had crippled the company, leading Mr. Lapin to sell his stake for just $50,000.

He later bought a breakfast restaurant in Santa Monica and a franchiser of printing centers.

" I am just not the kind of guy who could lie on the beach forever, " he told Forbes magazine in 1982.

Mr. Lapin also tried a pizza-and-video delivery business and a production company that featured videos of rock stars teaching children to play instruments, but his efforts never met with the same success as IHOP. In 1989, he declared bankruptcy.

He served as president of the International Franchise Association and the Southern California Restaurant Association, among other organizations. He supported programs teaching job skills for minority youths and received an ambassador award from the City of Hope Cancer Center.

Mr. Lapin is survived by his second wife, two sons and three grandchildren.