Pittsburgh Restaurant Chain Eat'n Park Marks 75th Anniversary

PITTSBURGH, PA — What started as a single carhop on Saw Mill Run Boulevard in 1949 has grown into a company employing nearly 10,000 people. It's time to wish Eat'n Park a happy 75th birthday.

Pittsburgh and Allegheny County already have done so by issuing proclamations Wednesday declaring it "Eat'n Park Day" in the city and county. That occurred at a special ceremony at the chain's Banksville Road location.

Few would have imagined that in 1949, when Larry Hatch opened the city's first "come as you are, eat in your car" restaurant concept. From that humble beginning, the eatery has grown into the Eat'n Park Hospitality Group that spans 14 states and has spawned four additional brands: Hello Bistro, The Porch, SmileyCookie.com, and Parkhurst Dining.

“We’re honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to create Smiles for the past 75 years, in Pittsburgh and beyond,” Eat'n Park Hospitality Group CEO Jeff Broadhurst. “From carhops to mobile ordering, we’re never done pushing the boundaries of what a family restaurant can be, and 75 years is only the beginning.”

Eat'n Park does more than give children a free famous Smiley Cookie with their meals. The company also supports numerous philanthropic initiatives.

Its Caring for Kids campaign, which is led entirely by team members, has raised nearly $10 million for the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation and more than $2 million for other children’s hospitals across the Hospitality Group’s footprint since its inception.

Eat'n Park has also helped families in need through its support of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylania and addressed food insecurity with its support of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, plus more than 30 other food banks across the Hospitality Group’s operating region.