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It’s that time of year...time for our Christmas Star commercial! Every year, we are moved by the comments we hear about this classic spot. Many of you have told us that it is what gets you in the holiday spirit, and that it reminds you of what the holidays are all about. We’ve even heard the commercial has been referenced in Christmas Eve sermons! 

Retelling the story of the “Christmas Star” has become an annual tradition for us, kind of like reading “The Night Before Christmas” for many families. So just how did this classic come to be? 

It all started in early 1982. Eat’n Park was just beginning to blossom into the family restaurant chain you’re now familiar with, and the company was prospering. Our CEO at the time, Jim Broadhurst, wanted to create a holiday card on video to thank the city of Pittsburgh for their support of Eat’n Park and our Caring for Kids campaign for local children’s hospitals, which at the time, was just a few years old. 

So, Jim tasked Ketchum, our ad agency at the time, with creating a message that would “last for 20 years.” Easy, right? Craig Otto, then a young art director, and Cathy Bowen, a fledgling copywriter at the time, led the project. The pair worked for 3 weeks to generate over 30 ideas, none of which were met with approval. Eventually, they hit upon the idea of an animated commercial, but they still weren’t sure where they were going with it. 

One Sunday shortly thereafter, Craig decided to come into the office. He sketched out a star, a traditional holiday image, and then stopped. “How does the star get to the top of the tree?” He played around with a few ideas until deciding that, of course, the star would need some help from the tree itself. In a fateful coincidence, Cathy had also decided to come into the office that Sunday. So, while Craig worked out the illustrations, Cathy devised a simple, yet perfect sentiment to wrap up the commercial. 

Jim immediately loved the spot, and a timeless classic was born. Even better, the commercial has outlasted his original expectations. The idea of the relationship between the tree and the star illustrates an enduring holiday lesson – by helping one another, you’re making the world a brighter place. 

So, from everyone here at Eat’n Park, here’s hoping the special lift you get this holiday season lasts all year long! 

Read on to see when it will be airing on TV in the Pittsburgh area!   

WPXI 

• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – November 28, 8:30 a.m.  
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Frosty the Snowman – December 5, 8 p.m.  
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – December 6, 8 p.m. 
• Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry – December 16, 8 p.m. 
• Barry Manilow’s A Barry Christmas – December 19, 9 p.m.   

WTAE 

• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – December 3, 9 p.m. 
• CMA Country Christmas – December 5, 8 p.m. 
• Prep and Landing 1 & 2 – December 12, 9 p.m. 
• The Santa Clause – December 22, 8 p.m. 

KDKA 

• Robbie the Reindeer – December 7, 9 p.m.  
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – December 21, 8 p.m. 
• Pittsburgh Today Live – Various episodes, December 16 – 27, 9 a.m. 

Freeform 

• 25 Days of Christmas – Various programming, November 28 – December 22  

Hallmark 

• Countdown to Christmas – Various programming, November 28 – December 22 

Food Network

• Holiday Baking Championship – Various episodes, November 28 – December 15

TBS 

• A Christmas Story – December 24, 6 p.m.  

Are you a trypto-fan of turkey? We sure are! Get ready for Thanksgiving with these Eat'n Park meals that are truly turkey-licious!  

Turkey Dinner 

Give thanks for our roasted turkey and stuffing topped with a hefty helping of gravy, all served with cranberry sauce.  

 Ahead of the holiday, prepare your stomach for the big day (you gotta get in eating shape, right?) and order this meal online to have Thanksgiving Dinner delivered (we’re on UberEats and DoorDash!). Note: We’re closed on Thanksgiving so our team members can enjoy the holiday with their friends and family.

Pittsburgh Turkey Sandwich 

Yinz hungry? This sandwich has Pittsburgh written ALL OVER IT! We take smoked turkey, crinkle-cut French fries, chipotle slaw, and Swiss cheese — and pile it all high on grilled Italian bread. The chipotle slaw gives this sandwich a bit of a kick!  

Take this sandwich to go when you order online and pull through our Pickup Window at select locations (you never even have to leave your car!).  

Roasted Hot Turkey Sandwich 

It’s a comfort food classic! We layer roasted turkey on grilled Italian bread and top it with a helping of homestyle gravy Add a slice of Pumpkin Pie to make this the perfect fall meal! 

Turkey Club 

Smoked turkey with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted white bread. Enjoy it with a side, like an order of Fresh Chips with Housemade Ranch, at no additional cost! 

Enjoy these turkey meals when you dine in at your local Eat’n Park!  

On the go? You can also place an order over the phone, online, or on our app for pickup via our lobby shelves, or at select locations, curbside pickup and our Pickup Window!  

Order now! 

When you’re out and about shopping on Black Friday, make sure you take a break and fill up at our Shopper’s Black Friday Breakfast Buffet on Friday, November 29 until 11AM. Visit the following Eat’n Park locations for our Black Friday Breakfast Buffet:

• Altoona
• Belle Vernon
• Bethel Park
• Butler
• Butler (United)
• Cranberry
• Center Township
• Dubois
• Erie
• Greenburg
• Grove City
• Hampton
• Hermitage
• Indiana
• Johnstown
• Latrobe
• McKnight (Northbound)
• Monroeville
• North Huntingdon
• North Versailles
• Pittsburgh Mills
• Robinson
• Shaler
• Somerset
• South Hills Village
• St. Clairsville, OH
• Uniontown
• Warren, OH
• Waterfront
• Waterworks
• Weirton, WV

Free Coffee for Voters This Election Day

*If placing your order online, do not add cup of coffee to your cart. When you arrive for pickup, let our team know you'd like to add a cup of coffee and show them your voting stub, email, or sticker! 

Thanksgiving is coming! Do you know who’s making dinner this year? Let them know Eat’n Park has dessert covered with our Thanksgiving Bakery pre-order form!  

Now through Friday, November 22, pre-order your Thanksgiving desserts here!  

We have all your favorites, including: 

• Pumpkin Pie – ON SALE NOW 
• Pumpkin Crème Pie 
• Apple Pie 
• Banana Crème Pie 
• Dutch Apple Pie 
• Pecan Pie 
• Blackberry Pie 
• Cookies and Cream Pie 
• Coconut Crème Pie 
• Lemon Meringue Pie 

Looking for Smiles? You can pre-order those, too! Order a dozen traditional Smiley Cookies for your Thanksgiving spread or Smiley Cookie decorating kits to keep the kids entertained during the holiday! 

Pre-order your Thanksgiving pies and desserts by Friday, November 22 for pickup on one of two dates: 

• Tuesday, November 26 between 7AM and 10:30PM 
• Wednesday, November 27 between 7AM and 10:30PM 

We look forward to making your holiday one to remember with Eat’n Park Thanksgiving desserts!  

At Eat’n Park, one day that’s close to our heart is November 11. Wondering whether Eat’n Park has any Veterans Day deals? You bet! In fact, to show our appreciation and gratitude, all former and current military personnel receive 10% off for themselves and their entire party each time they dine in — for the entire month of November!

How to receive the November Veterans Discount: 

• Proof of service is required, so please be prepared to show your Military ID or your Veteran Designation on your driver’s license.  
• We will also extend this discount to service members who arrive in uniform.  
• The 10% discount will be applied to all meals on the check, so our veterans and active-duty service members are welcome to bring their families to dine with them.  
• While this offer cannot be combined with any other coupon offer or discount, it can be used in combination with our free coffee for voters on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, and free Smiley Cookie for veterans on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11.  

This offer is valid for dine-in only November 1–30, 2024. 

Free Smiley Cookie for Veterans! 

All veterans who visit us on Veterans Day (November 11) will ALSO receive a free Smiley Cookie on us! This gesture of sharing a Smile is just a small token of our sincere gratitude for our veterans and current military personnel for their selfless service to our country.  

We Salute Our Veteran Team Members!  

Many veterans are also Eat’n Park team members! We would like to introduce you to just a few of the veterans you may encounter at our restaurants. We’re so appreciative of their service to our country as well as their ability to create Smiles for our guests every day! 

We here at Eat’n Park are so honored to have such dedicated team members who create Smiles at our restaurants every day, and many of them are veterans who served in the armed forces.  

This November, we want to share the stories of some of these very special team members and thank them for their service!   

Greg

Military Branch: Served in the Marine Corps for 7.5 years and in the Navy Reserves for over 9 years

Eat’n Park Title:  Dishwasher, Moon Township

Number of Years with Eat’n Park: 13 

Favorite Eat’n Park Menu Item: Spaghetti

What Makes You Smile? My fellow team members that take the initiative to help out make me Smile!

Rick

Military Branch: Served in the U.S. Navy 

Eat'n Park Title: Cook at Robinson Eat'n Park

Number of Years with Eat'n Park: 3.5 years

Favorite Eat'n Park Menu Item: Superburger with fries

What Makes You Smile? My fellow team members!

Anita

Military Branch: Served in the U.S. Air Force for 21+ years

Eat'n Park Title: General Manager, New Stanton Eat'n Park

Number of Years with Eat'n Park: 18 years 

Favorite Eat'n Park Menu Item: Chicken Bruschetta

What Makes You Smile? My family, including my kids and grandkids, and my Eat'n Park family make me Smile! 

Ray

Military Branch: Served in the Army National Guard and U.S. Air Force

Eat'n Park Title: Cook, Weirton Eat'n Park

Number of Years with Eat'n Park: 5 years 

Favorite Eat'n Park Menu Item: Turkey Club

What Makes You Smile? Doing my job to the best of my ability makes me Smile!

Ben

Military Branch: Served in the  U.S. Air Force for 2 years

Eat'n Park Title: Assistant Manager, Latrobe Eat'n Park

Number of Years with Eat'n Park: 11 months

Favorite Eat'n Park Menu Item: Buffalo Chicken Wrap

What Makes You Smile? Getting to make connections and interact with new people each and every day is what makes me Smile!

Thank you for your service!