Eat'n Park history

Our first Cookie Cruiser was an antique 1974 DIVCO Milk truck - because what goes better with cookies than milk? The Cookie Cruiser and its operators, Team Smiley, would visit local neighborhood events with a sweet treat for all those in attendance.

Since the start of our Caring for Kids Campaign in 1979, our wonderful team members, guests, and partners have helped us to raise over $10,000,000 for local children’s hospitals.

How did this classic commercial come to be? In 1982, Eat’n Park was just beginning to blossom into the family restaurant chain that you’re now familiar with, and the company was prospering.

Jim Broadhurst, then CEO of Eat’n Park, (Broadhurst bought the Eat’n Park Company from Hatch in 1984) looked to his hometown in Titusville for guidance.

In 1986, Eat'n Park introduced Smiley Cookies -- frosted sugar cookies with colorful icing in the shape of a smiley face.

Parkhurst Dining was founded in 1996, and was built on the solid foundation of food service and hospitality expertise from our restaurant roots, while led by expertly trained chefs with a vision for culinary creativity, customization, and made-from-scratch cooking.

The introduction of our FarmSource program in 2002 pioneered the creation of the infrastructure needed to get local products into the hands of our suppliers and onto the plates of our guests.

Malkin, the second overall pick in the 2004 draft, has 444 goals and 1,146 points in 16 seasons, all with the Penguins.

The Smiley Cookie skyrocketed in popularity in 2006 when the Pittsburgh Steelers became Super Bowl XL Champions, defeating the Seattle Seahawks.

In 2009, when the Steelers clinched another Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLIII, Eat’n Park sold 500,000 Smiley Cookies during the week leading up to the game, and 600,000 the following week.

Through 2010, the campaign has raised over $7 million for sick children and their families.

Today, Eat'n Park remains a Pittsburgh culinary icon and operates nearly 100 restaurants throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio -- including Pittsburgh's first LEED-certified green restaurant set to open in 2011.

The original Eat'n Park restaurant was located on the spot occupied today, in 2018, by Frank and Shirley's Restaurant.

Approaching their 70th anniversary in 2019, Eat 'n Park is still a well respected restaurant with a loyal following.

Tim saysFebruary 6, 2020 at 5:08 pmThey are unable to give a 100% guarantee simply because there are peanuts and tree nuts in the building.

Jeff saysFebruary 1, 2021 at 12:50 amThere is a shop in the Pittsburgh Airport where you used to be able to buy mini-Smiley Cookies individually wrapped., perfect in this pandemic conscious world.