what's new

This year, our iconic Eat’n Park Smiley Cookie is celebrating 40 years of smiles! That’s four decades of memories and sweet moments shared in our restaurants and in the communities we serve!  

Smiley Cookies are more than a treat. They are a symbol of kindness, tradition, and hometown hospitality that has brought generations together since 1986. However, the story of the Smiley Cookie began well before that in Titusville, Pa. 

Eat’n Park’s former chairman, Jim Broadhurst, grew up in this oil town northeast of Pittsburgh, and each day on his way to and from school, he would pass Warner’s Bakery, a small local pastry shop. Every day, Jim would stop at Warner’s to purchase a cookie – one hand-iced with a happy, smiling face – for five cents.  

Those happy memories of his favorite childhood cookie stuck with Jim. When he joined Eat’n Park and oversaw the opening of our first bakery, he wanted to recreate the magic he remembered from his own childhood. With the blessing of Ellsworth Warner, the original owner of Warner’s Bakery, Eat’n Park began baking Smiley Cookies to give to every child for free after their meal.  

It wasn’t long before guests of all ages wanted a Smiley Cookie for themselves, and soon enough, they were no longer a treat reserved just for kids. Eat’n Park fans of all ages began enjoying them by the dozen, and what started as a simple smiling cookie eventually became Eat’n Park’s icon and mascot, spreading joy and giving us our nickname, “The Place for Smiles.” Smiley Cookies have also become synonymous with Pittsburgh and the spirit of kindness our region is known for.  

Today, Smiley Cookies come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. SmileyCookie.com launched in 2006, sending Smiles to all 50 states. But four decades later, and we’ve never lost sight of the Smiley Cookie’s original purpose, and we’re still treating every kid to Smiley Cookie when they dine with us at Eat’n Park.   

We want to hear your Smiley Cookie Story! Visit our Facebook page and share your favorite Smiley Cookie memory with us for a chance to win free Smiley Cookies for a year!