[quote name='Jaggsta']They are not free you have to leave a donation unless you are jerk[/QUOTE]
Free: "costing nothing; provided without charge"
Donation: "an act or instance of presenting something as a gift"
Gift: "something given voluntarily without payment in return"
"On February 5, 2013, guests from around the country will once again celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP and enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes*. In return for the free pancakes, guests will be asked to consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals© ** or other designated local charities."
So yes, the pancakes are "free" since a "donation" is a "gift" that is "without payment in return." No one is obligated to make a donation to receive the pancakes, they are given for free. When you make the donation, you are not making it in return for the pancakes, since the pancakes are free; you are giving a gift. But making a donation is a nice thing to do.
[quote name='WV Matsui']So if I take my wife and daughter do we all get free pancakes or just one?[/QUOTE]
Also, to answer the actual question posed, each individual visitor is eligible to receive a free short stack of pancakes, so if there are three of you, each of you will receive your own pancakes (with or without donation).
