Gov. Corbett visits renovated Shaler Eat'n Park he has been going to since 1963

ETNA, Pa. — A local Eat'n Park received a visit from Pennsylvania's leader to mark the completion of roughly $1 million in renovations.

Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican, returned to Shaler and made an appearance at his local Eat'n Park for a ribbon cutting ceremony that would show off the redesigned restaurant.

Corbett, who was joined by State Sen. Randy Vulakovich, R-40, and Eat'n Park CEO Jeff Broadhurst, relived memories he had at "his" Eat'n Park, such as rushing over to the restaurant for dinner breaks during high school when he was a lifeguard nearby.

"I remember this being built," Corbett said. "It has gone through at least four, now five renovations since I've been going here. We feel at home when we come here. I'm willing to bet by now there have been four generations coming to this restaurant, and that is a wonderful tribute to the ownership and the staff that always makes you feel welcome."

Corbett said he was thrilled that the restaurant wasn't going to close while the renovations were taking place.

"Because, when I come home, I don't bother going out to buy milk and cereal, it'll go bad," Corbett said. "I usually just come down here and have breakfast for the days I'm in Pittsburgh."

Vulakovich said he can recall a time when car-hops used to bring meals out to the restaurants' customers parked outside.

"For being a chain restaurant, it's so much more," Vulakovich said. "It truly is a neighborhood diner. I'm so pleased that Eat'n Park has invested like they have in this restaurant."

The renovations included moving the entrance to the restaurant and building a new lobby, adding a dine-in counter with a flat-screen TV, rebuilding the interior and adding a pickup window, according to a release. Major renovations are also scheduled this year for Eat'n Park locations in Whitehall, Greensburg and Banksville.

"This is all about making sure our guests leave with a smile," Broadhurst said. "Today, after we cut this ribbon, we're recommitting ourself to this community, to our team members and to our guests."

Broadhurst spoke of how many of the restaurant's initiatives become industry trends, such as the breakfast buffet and salad bar, which is the restaurant's No. 1 selling menu item.

"When I think of Eat'n Park, we're about more than just renovating, we're about reinventing ourselves on a daily basis," Broadhurst said. "Day after day, so we can be here for forty more years."

While the restaurant is still housed in the same structure, the renovations have turned it into a completely new restaurant, Broadhurst said.

"Everything is totally flipped from the entrance," Broadhurst said. "There is really very little that is similar, even the salad bar is flipped. It's really a brand new restaurant that we built within the confines of the existing walls, which was done for zoning purposes and to make things easier, but it's a brand new restaurant when you look at it."

Some of the changes that will be implemented in future renovation projects include the new color scheme, the new counter design and flexible seating, which helps to accommodate larger parties more easily, Broadhurst said.

Corbett said the restaurant has been the center of life for many in the community, and that as Eat'n Park has grown across the region, this restaurant has grown as well.

"I've been coming here since 1963 or 1964," Corbett said. "This is my Eat'n Park."

WPXI