Peter Von in his workshop in the hills of Adelaide. Over the years we've had some moments that are more memorable or more interesting than others... we've made the headlines, we've broken new ground, we've broken the rules or we've done something that we'll always remember. Here are a few of those highlights: In January 1996 the Giant Clock at the Jam Factory Complex in South Yarra first started ticking. This clock measures over 3 metres across the face and weighs more than one tonne. The clock was designed and built by our resident inventor, Peter Von Csarnecki. Peter is the man (and mind) behind all of the contraptions, devices and machines you'll discover in our restaurants. The first installation was in the original Pancake Parlour in Adelaide back in 1965.Since then Peter has built a huge collection of devices, gadgets, machines and contraptions. Click on the picture here to go to a whole page of larger images of this, and other, inventions. On November 17, 1968 the first of our airforce took to the skies. We now have a fleet of planes, dirigibles and other assorted flying machines built from a recipe of scrap metal, thrown-away artifacts all held together with liberal doses of Peter Von's fertile imagination. The latest addition to the fleet is at the Northland Shopping Complex and is a masterpiece of mechanical and electrical engineering. The Red Baron flies again at Northland. Christmas 1988 and our new television commercial went to air. The commercial was created by our advertising department and is quite a masterpiece of computer animation. All the 'characters' in the commercial are 3D computer models accurately created from the items you'll find on every table in each restaurant. Altogether the commercial took nearly four months to build all the models and choreograph the action. Some  'behind-the-scenes' action can be seen by clicking on the picture. Our menu has become quite famous... early Pancake Parlour menus are very rare, avidly sought after by collectors and have become quite valuable... if only we had thought to put some away in a safe place. We've always retained the style (and flavour) of the original Pancake Parlour menus... the Lovely Lady, for example, appeared in our very first menu and is still with us today. It's the late sixties and the City of Melbourne closes its streets to traffic for a parade to celebrate the opening of our new restaurant in Market Lane. Also in the sixties, the censors got upset about a harmless little book called Little Black Sambo. The paintings on our walls at the restaurant in Market Lane decided to go on a vacation. Sambo is 100 years old this year so we´re telling his story on the pages of this web site.