Friday, March 6, 2009
Like father, like daughters
I met my husband in 2001, and we were married in 2002. During courtship, and even after our wedding, we frequently ate at Eat'n Park Restaurants because he was a very healthy eater and loved the salad bar and fish we could get there.
A few months later we started a family.....now two daughters later...at 3 & 5 years old they still like to go to "Park n Eat" It is their favorite restaurant. Every time I take the girls to "Park n Eat," they get the Baked Scrod w/ Broccoli, and they love it so much. Waitresses are often surprised to see two toddlers eating fish, but they've been eating it since before they had teeth. Their daddy loved it and he passed that down to them. He came ill to cancer and has, to our dismay, go on to be with the Lord in Heaven, but God sustains us and still gives the 3 of us opportunities to go to "Park n Eat" to have some fish!!!!
Rebecca
Greensburg, PA Share
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A few months later we started a family.....now two daughters later...at 3 & 5 years old they still like to go to "Park n Eat" It is their favorite restaurant. Every time I take the girls to "Park n Eat," they get the Baked Scrod w/ Broccoli, and they love it so much. Waitresses are often surprised to see two toddlers eating fish, but they've been eating it since before they had teeth. Their daddy loved it and he passed that down to them. He came ill to cancer and has, to our dismay, go on to be with the Lord in Heaven, but God sustains us and still gives the 3 of us opportunities to go to "Park n Eat" to have some fish!!!!
Rebecca
Greensburg, PA Share
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Fond first-date memories
After almost 20 years of marriage, I lost my beloved husband, Norman, on April 15th, 2008. Our very FIRST date was a lunch at Eat'n Park in Johnstown. He worked in Pittsburgh, and I worked in Johnstown, and he came home every weekend to visit me in my drug store job. After about a year of his coming in every weekend, and buying enough aspirin, greeting cards, tissues and other sundry needs, he gathered up the courage to "ask me to lunch."
He used to accuse me of wanting to play "Twenty Questions" with him, and instead our luncheon turned into "100 questions!" Our waitress was a dear woman named Betty, and she worked there for a great number of years. She was very patient as our hour lunch turned into two and then three hours! We moved to Pittssburgh 18 years ago, and spent many wonderful dinners at the Eat'n Park location at South Hills Village. Thanks, Eat'n Park, for contributing to our wonderful years together!
Barbara
McMurray, PA Share
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He used to accuse me of wanting to play "Twenty Questions" with him, and instead our luncheon turned into "100 questions!" Our waitress was a dear woman named Betty, and she worked there for a great number of years. She was very patient as our hour lunch turned into two and then three hours! We moved to Pittssburgh 18 years ago, and spent many wonderful dinners at the Eat'n Park location at South Hills Village. Thanks, Eat'n Park, for contributing to our wonderful years together!
Barbara
McMurray, PA Share
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The 14 Days of Marissa
Those who say "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" will really enjoy this story. Before my husband was my forever Valentine, we lived 2 states apart; almost 9 hours away from each other. And that is why our first Valentine's Day was a special one!
He had it all planned out - even the time off work - to spend 14 days in Erie celebrating our love together. It was titled "The 14 days of Marissa." Each day leading up to February 14th was unique, in which he would take me to one of my favorite places or set something up at my apartment that would make me smile and laugh. Such memories inlcude: dinner at a Japanese steakhouse, fried ice cream at Chi Chi's, a chick flick at a local theater and a time away from it all - a bubble bath filled with rose petals.
But, he left the best gift for the last day. . .a box of Eat'n Park Smiley Cookies. We spent that final night together watching a movie and eating my favorite treat! Now we are happily married and still remember that first Valentine's Day together celebrating not just 1 day but 14 in a row!
Marissa
Sewickley, PA Share
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He had it all planned out - even the time off work - to spend 14 days in Erie celebrating our love together. It was titled "The 14 days of Marissa." Each day leading up to February 14th was unique, in which he would take me to one of my favorite places or set something up at my apartment that would make me smile and laugh. Such memories inlcude: dinner at a Japanese steakhouse, fried ice cream at Chi Chi's, a chick flick at a local theater and a time away from it all - a bubble bath filled with rose petals.
But, he left the best gift for the last day. . .a box of Eat'n Park Smiley Cookies. We spent that final night together watching a movie and eating my favorite treat! Now we are happily married and still remember that first Valentine's Day together celebrating not just 1 day but 14 in a row!
Marissa
Sewickley, PA Share
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Coin flip seals fate of lifelong love
In 1976, I worked as a server at the Eat'n Park on Banksville Rd. When summer rolled around, I was transferred to the Eat'n Park on Lyle Blvd. in McKeesport and was promoted to Training Specialist. The company had just built this restaurant, and it was beautiful. I was responsible for conducting orientations for all the new employees and then training them in the restaurant dining room.
So there I was, working my way through college with little on my mind other than making as much money as I could that summer; however I couldn't overlook the extremely handsome trio of men who were managers and general managers. Although I had a boyfriend waiting for me back at school, I indulged in a little flirting. So did the other training specialist. We spent a lot of time working with two specific managers. We were kinda interested in them and they in us.
Sooooo, leave it to the men to decide who would ask out who. They flipped a coin and the winner chose to ask the other girl who, ironically, said 'no'. I was the booby prize. The other manager got "stuck" with me. We couldn't go out on a date at that time because we worked together. However I was being transferred on July 4th, and accepted a date for the next day.
It was a 'magical' day. I was told to dress casually, so I wore a little sun dress. He picked me up at 6 am and apparently our destination was Moraine State Park. I thought, 'how romantic, a picnic at the lake'. He pulled up to a little restaurant/gas station, and I figured he was getting the fixin's for our lunch. He came out with two dozen worms and a big pail of frantically swimming little fish. I must have looked puzzled, at which point he said, "I did tell you we were going fishing, didn't I?" NO, he didn't, but I was game.
I pulled in some beautiful bass while my date proceeded to be the macho man and throw lures into the lake that were bigger than my bass. He got skunked. I think he was trolling for Moby Dick. But wait, there's more. He said we were going to dinner and a movie. I thought maybe this would be a little more romantic than the fishing disaster. He took me to Pizza Hut and then to see a western, "The Shootist" with John Wayne. At this point, I had figured out that we were probably the most mis-matched couple in the world. He took me home and was working up the nerve to kiss me good night. And then it happened! His lips met mine and rockets went off! I was levitating, fireworks shooting everywhere! I didn't even realize the kiss had ended. He asked me out for the following evening. Having just lost the power of speech, I mutely nodded yes.
And so our romance continued. On Thanksgiving Dinner 1980, this wonderful man asked my parents, "Can I have your wife as my daughter's hand in marriage?" If I didn't already love him, that would have endeared him to me forever! Of course, my parents assured him that he could marry me, but that my Mom was taken. That broke the tension. Every Thanksgiving since that day, I give thanks that this man lost a bet a long time ago. We were married on March 27th, 1982. My husband, Jeff, is a General Manager with Eat'n Park with 38 years of service. I stayed with the company for 7 years, at which time I moved on to a job related to my field of study in college. I'm now a stay at home Mom, caring for my 17 year-old son who also works for Eat'n Park. We're an Eat'n Park family through and through! And regarding that coin toss, I'm SO glad that Jeff ended up with me.
Jocelyn
Pittsburgh, PA Share
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So there I was, working my way through college with little on my mind other than making as much money as I could that summer; however I couldn't overlook the extremely handsome trio of men who were managers and general managers. Although I had a boyfriend waiting for me back at school, I indulged in a little flirting. So did the other training specialist. We spent a lot of time working with two specific managers. We were kinda interested in them and they in us.
Sooooo, leave it to the men to decide who would ask out who. They flipped a coin and the winner chose to ask the other girl who, ironically, said 'no'. I was the booby prize. The other manager got "stuck" with me. We couldn't go out on a date at that time because we worked together. However I was being transferred on July 4th, and accepted a date for the next day.
It was a 'magical' day. I was told to dress casually, so I wore a little sun dress. He picked me up at 6 am and apparently our destination was Moraine State Park. I thought, 'how romantic, a picnic at the lake'. He pulled up to a little restaurant/gas station, and I figured he was getting the fixin's for our lunch. He came out with two dozen worms and a big pail of frantically swimming little fish. I must have looked puzzled, at which point he said, "I did tell you we were going fishing, didn't I?" NO, he didn't, but I was game.
I pulled in some beautiful bass while my date proceeded to be the macho man and throw lures into the lake that were bigger than my bass. He got skunked. I think he was trolling for Moby Dick. But wait, there's more. He said we were going to dinner and a movie. I thought maybe this would be a little more romantic than the fishing disaster. He took me to Pizza Hut and then to see a western, "The Shootist" with John Wayne. At this point, I had figured out that we were probably the most mis-matched couple in the world. He took me home and was working up the nerve to kiss me good night. And then it happened! His lips met mine and rockets went off! I was levitating, fireworks shooting everywhere! I didn't even realize the kiss had ended. He asked me out for the following evening. Having just lost the power of speech, I mutely nodded yes.
And so our romance continued. On Thanksgiving Dinner 1980, this wonderful man asked my parents, "Can I have your wife as my daughter's hand in marriage?" If I didn't already love him, that would have endeared him to me forever! Of course, my parents assured him that he could marry me, but that my Mom was taken. That broke the tension. Every Thanksgiving since that day, I give thanks that this man lost a bet a long time ago. We were married on March 27th, 1982. My husband, Jeff, is a General Manager with Eat'n Park with 38 years of service. I stayed with the company for 7 years, at which time I moved on to a job related to my field of study in college. I'm now a stay at home Mom, caring for my 17 year-old son who also works for Eat'n Park. We're an Eat'n Park family through and through! And regarding that coin toss, I'm SO glad that Jeff ended up with me.
Jocelyn
Pittsburgh, PA Share
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Generations of love at Eat'n Park
This story is about my brother, Michael, and my sister-in-law, Ginni. They will be married 35 years in June. Michael was working in the kitchen when Ginni became a waitress - you know what they say about "love at first sight" - and that is exactly what happened to them. What a beautiful couple they make. They even had one elderly couple who loved them both so much that they would ask for Ginni when they needed to be seated and always left a generous tip for both she and my brother (although I believe in those days the waitresses had to put all tips in a jar, which they shared at the end of the day).
Love still continues as their daughter, Erin - who is subbing as an elementary teacher - also works at Eat'n Park on the days she is available. Their youngest daughter, Kily, has been working, first as a greeter and now as a waitress, at the Eat'n Park in Allison Park. Me, well - I remember when we would jump in a car and we would drive in a circle around Eat'n Park for years - that was the place to be.
Ginni
Cheswick, PA Share
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Love still continues as their daughter, Erin - who is subbing as an elementary teacher - also works at Eat'n Park on the days she is available. Their youngest daughter, Kily, has been working, first as a greeter and now as a waitress, at the Eat'n Park in Allison Park. Me, well - I remember when we would jump in a car and we would drive in a circle around Eat'n Park for years - that was the place to be.
Ginni
Cheswick, PA Share
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Just say "Yes!"
Eat'n Park - are you kidding! I love Eat'n Park. I used to work at the restuaurant in Ambridge in the 70's. Unfortunately, it is no longer there. I didn't meet my sweetie there or get engaged there, but he used to stop in and visit me quite a bit. He would also pick me up after the late shift for a ride home. One evening after he picked me up, we went for a drive. He parked so we could talk, and there I sat in my waitress uniform: brown skirt and mini tie, white shoes and blouse, blue apron tied up in a pretty bow (and paper clipped to perfection), and my black and white name tag. And it was there that he asked me to marry him - I said yes, of course, and we have been married for 35 years now! I'll never forget what I was wearing when he proposed -that awesome Eat'n Park uniform!
Fran
Aliquippa, PA Share
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Fran
Aliquippa, PA Share
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25-year romance begins at Avalon Eat'n Park
Oh, young love! My first real job was as a waitress at Eat'n Park. I actually started out as a carhop at the Avalon location, then after the store closed and was remodeled, returned to continue as a regular waitress on the inside. :) I'm afraid that if I hadn't returned after the construction, I wouldn't have met the love of my life, John.
I worked there through high school and even on the weekends after I started my career job at the Bank of New York Mellon. During my senior year of high school, a new cook was hired at the same store. I want to say there was an instant attraction between the two of us, and the romance began. Spending time together at work gave us a chance to get to know one another, and pretty quickly we started dating. We had other friends who also met there and dated (then married), and we shared great friendships with these couples, along with each other. I must admit, although probably not allowed, we would occasionaly sneak a kiss in the freezer.
It's not the most exciting story of romance, but a lifelong love developed from that innocent relationship so many years ago. John and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on October 29, 2008. We are raising children, our son, John, and our daughter Jamie, who both respond the same when we ask...."where do you want to eat?" They almost always say "Eat'n Park!"
Sandra
Pittsburgh, PA Share
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I worked there through high school and even on the weekends after I started my career job at the Bank of New York Mellon. During my senior year of high school, a new cook was hired at the same store. I want to say there was an instant attraction between the two of us, and the romance began. Spending time together at work gave us a chance to get to know one another, and pretty quickly we started dating. We had other friends who also met there and dated (then married), and we shared great friendships with these couples, along with each other. I must admit, although probably not allowed, we would occasionaly sneak a kiss in the freezer.
It's not the most exciting story of romance, but a lifelong love developed from that innocent relationship so many years ago. John and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on October 29, 2008. We are raising children, our son, John, and our daughter Jamie, who both respond the same when we ask...."where do you want to eat?" They almost always say "Eat'n Park!"
Sandra
Pittsburgh, PA Share
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