7 Reasons Western Pennsylvanians Still Love Eat’n Park

For a lot of Western Pennsylvanians, the holidays officially start when the Eat’n Park Christmas Star ad comes on.

It’s been around since 1982, and it’s one of many reasons the restaurant feels like part of the family.

Here are the reasons Western Pennsylvanians still love Eat’n Park.

1. Smiley Cookies

If you bring kids to Eat’n Park, they typically get a Smiley Cookie at the end of the meal.

A former Eat’n Park executive created the cookie in 1986.

The cookie turned 40 in 2026.

The executive based it on a treat he enjoyed as a child at Warner’s Bakery in Titusville.

In 2026, voters named it the “Coolest Thing Made in PA” in a bracket-style contest run by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.

SmileyCookie.com ships nationwide.

2. Christmas Star

Eat’n Park commissioned its Christmas Star commercial in 1982.

It began as a thank-you to Pittsburgh residents who donated to a fundraiser for area hospitals.

The agency Ketchum MacLeod & Grove made the animation.

In the spot, a star tries to hop atop a tree but can’t make it.

The tree bends over and raises the star up.

The closing message comes from Bob Trow, a local radio voice and regular on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

The 30-second spot debuted during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade telecast.

Pittsburgh Magazine reported in 2023 that it had aired during the parade every year since.

Many viewers still watch.

In December 2022, a Pittsburgh hospital posted a video of newborns dressed as the commercial’s tree.

3. Strawberry Pie

Eat’n Park’s strawberry pie still features two pints of fresh strawberries.

Claire Moore, the daughter of company founder Larry Hatch, developed the original recipe.

In the 1960s, the chain was among the first in the country to have its fruit delivered by air freight from Plant City, Florida, according to Pittsburgh Magazine.

That meant pie all winter.

Other pies baked fresh at each site include apple, Dutch apple and blackberry.

Today, strawberry pie typically runs from late April through Labor Day.

In 2025, it was the most popular slice and whole pie on the menu.

In May 2026, Eat’n Park added a limited-edition strawberry Smiley Cookie that honors the pie.

If you’re craving a slice in November, you’ll likely wait until spring.

4. Salad Bar

Eat'n Park's salad bar appears to be the restaurant's most popular menu item, according to a 2024 Pittsburgh City Paper profile.

Eat'n Park introduced its Soup & Salad Bar in 1978, four years after the Superburger debuted.

5. Superburger

Eat'n Park's founder, Larry Hatch, made a deal to franchise Big Boy burgers after visiting a Bob's Big Boy restaurant.

Today's Superburger replaced the Big Boy burger after the franchise agreement expired in 1974.

Marriott held the Big Boy rights and wanted a percentage of sales.

Eat'n Park refused and renamed the burger the Superburger.

Eat'n Park's burger menu still lists an Original Superburger and a Super Superburger.

6. Carhop Roots

Eat'n Park opened its first restaurant on June 5, 1949, on Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Overbrook.

Larry Hatch built a small building with 10 outdoor stalls, 13 indoor seats and 10 carhops.

Carhops took orders and brought the food to the car.

The chain advertised itself as "Pittsburgh's First Modern Eat-in-your-Car Food Service."

Its name flips the phrase "park 'n eat."

Carhop service declined in the late 1960s.

Booths and tables took over.

7. Caring for Kids

Eat'n Park's Caring for Kids campaign raised $329,381 in 2024, its 46th annual run.

That was the most money raised in a year since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign has raised more than $12 million for children's hospitals since it began in 1979.

At the restaurants you visit, team members raise the money by decorating water jugs for spare change and hosting community events.

If you give, the funds go to more than a dozen children's hospitals, including Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

That same year, the company gave a $400,000 grant for the new Heart Institute at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Quarter Century Club

As of its 75th anniversary, Eat'n Park's Quarter Century Club included about 800 employees.

About 400 still worked for the company.

That City Paper profile described many customers as multigenerational families.

The Broadhurst family has run the chain since the 1980s.

Anniversary Celebrations

For its 50th anniversary in 1999, Eat'n Park set up a hotline where customers could call in their memories.

Many callers recalled milestones like engagements and births.

The City of Pittsburgh declared June 5, 2024, Eat'n Park Day.

The day marked the chain's 75th anniversary.

Proclamations followed.