Claire “Larry” Hatch seized the opportunity.
Hatch, who had no experience in restaurant management, and his wife, Gladys, took out a second mortgage on their home to raise the $75,000 needed to buy the land on Saw Mill Run Boulevard at Route 51 in Overbrook. Hatch had worked for the family-owned neighborhood dairy, Esaly's, overseeing six stores in Pittsburgh. Hatch pitched the restaurant concept to Esaly's, but they turned him down.
So he built a small building with 10 outdoor stalls, 13 indoor seats, and 10 waitresses to take orders and bring food to cars. The restaurant concept was new and well-received, but opening day caused traffic congestion on Highway 51. Demand was so high that Hatch had to temporarily close the restaurant and simplify the menu to speed up preparation and cooking.
Hatch hired Bill Peters, who had been a manager at one of Isserly's stores, as president.
In the 1940s, “Park & Eat” was a common term, so Hatch and Peters came up with the name “Eat'n Park.”
That bold decision 75 years ago has led to 56 restaurants across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
“From carhops to mobile ordering, we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible for a family restaurant, and 75 years is just the beginning,” Jeff Broadhurst, chairman and CEO of Eaton Park Hospitality Group, Eaton Park's parent company, said at a celebration held at the Banksville store on Wednesday. “We're honored and humbled to have the opportunity to create smiles for the past 75 years and beyond.”
Provided by Eat'n Park
In Eat'n Park's early days, there was a carhop service where drivers would park their cars and a server would bring their food orders out to their cars.
Eat-in-Park first had uniforms worn by servers: shirts and blouses with a “Sara” name tag on their belts. Over the years, team members (as Eat-in-Park calls its employees) have worn newer uniforms.
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, a new look was created along with a new nameplate.
“When we see those uniforms, we remember all of the team members who wore them,” said Marcy Sencher, president and CEO of Eaton Park Hospitality Group's restaurants division.
Joan Klimovich Harrop | TribLive
Inside the office of Marcy Sencher, president and CEO of Eaton Park Hospitality Group's restaurant division on Homestead's waterfront, there's a wall of menus.
Sencher started as a server at the Dormont location and then took on a management role at the Banksville location. She keeps all of the menus, including the one at the Overbrook location.
“I remember generations of families eating at Eaton Park,” Sencher said. “Nostalgia is important. One day, our current uniforms will be nostalgic too. Our mission is to continue to innovate while honoring the past.”
Sencher said the restaurants have been renovated over the years to embrace their history and attract new generations of customers. Some have been renovated while others have been rebuilt, such as Banksville in 2014 and Collier, which is set to reopen later this year.
Once renovations are complete in Collier and Murrysville, there will be 51 stores with pick-up windows, an amenity that was much needed during the 2020 pandemic.
Mary Huggins of Carrick, a server at the Banksville restaurant for 15 years, said she loves the atmosphere, meeting new people every day and the loyal customers. The 75th anniversary shows Eaton Park's dedication, she said.
“I love my job,” Huggins said. “I love taking care of my customers and making them smile.”
Speaking of smiles, Smiley Cookies debuted in 1986. Then-owner Jim Broadhurst, who bought the company with his wife, Susie, in 1984, was inspired by the sugar cookies at Warner's Bakery in his hometown of Titusville. He came up with the idea to offer free cookies to kids. Sencher said adults would ask if they could buy them, so Smiley Cookies evolved into seasonal cookies, cookies you could decorate yourself, and a website where you could have the cookies shipped.
Broadhurst also renamed the “Big Boy Burger” – which features an image of a chubby boy in white and red checked overalls carrying a tray of the specialty burger – to the “Superburger.”
Other restaurant chains, such as Shawnee's in the South and Elby's in West Virginia, also used the Big Boy name.
According to a deal with Bob Wian, owner of Bob's Pantry in Glendale, California, Eaton Park secured the copyright and was granted permission to use the restaurant's name, ingredients and images for a $1 annual fee.
The agreement expired in 1974.
Wian reportedly sold the rights to Marriott for $7 million, and Marriott wanted a cut of the proceeds, but Broadhurst, who was Eaton Park's vice president and treasurer at the time, said “absolutely not,” and renamed the restaurant Superburger.
Eat'n Park expanded into Eat'n Park Hospitality in 1999. It employs approximately 10,000 people across Eat'n Park, Hello Bistro, The Porch, Parkhurst Dining and SmileyCookie.com.
Provided by Eat'n Park
Eat in Park will celebrate its 75th anniversary on June 5, 2024, with an event at the Banksville restaurant featuring elected officials and executives, some of whose team members wore vintage uniforms from the restaurant's early days.
Sencher said one thing that will remain constant for the next 75 years is the Eaton Park Christmas tree commercial. Commissioned as a Christmas card and as a way to show gratitude for the community's support of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (now UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh), Ketchum, McLeod and Grove advertising agency created a little star struggling to reach the top of the tree. The tree bends down to try to get the star to the top. When the star reaches the top, the entire tree lights up.
“That commercial is something we'll never forget,” Sencher said. “That commercial brings a smile to your face.”
Joan Klimovich Harrop is a Triblive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes feature stories about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She's been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter's Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
