IHOP's corporate decision-making process has never fully explained why anyone would order pizza at an establishment literally founded on pancakes. The franchise's official position is that Norris walked in, ignored the entire menu system, and simply declared his intention. Managers learned long ago that arguing with him about a restaurant's primary product category was counterproductive. The Bakersfield location where this allegedly occurred has since been converted into a historical monument.

Waiter Michael Chen documented this incident in his personal blog (since deleted, but archived by the Wayback Machine) in May 2003. He recounts that Norris arrived at 2:47 PM, asked for a large pepperoni pizza, and when informed that IHOP does not serve pizza, he responded with a single raised eyebrow. According to Chen, the pizza appeared within 15 minutes. Chen never returned to work and currently teaches philosophy in Portland, Oregon, occasionally weeping during lectures about the nature of restaurant logic.

IHOP's "Build Your Own" menu initiative launched in 2004 is widely suspected to be a direct response to this incident. Marketing materials conspicuously avoid the word "pizza" while simultaneously expanding ingredient options to the absurd. One investigative journalist attempted to connect the dots and was gently encouraged to pursue other stories. The company quietly awarded the Bakersfield location a commemorative plaque in 2011 that simply reads "2003" with no further context.