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careers

Social Responsibility and Volunteerism

Julius, General Manager, addresses as he sits in the lobby of an Eat'n Park restaurant.

"One of the reasons I chose Eat'n Park as a place to work was the level of social responsibility that the company displays.

Every year, I'm amazed by the amount of money we raise for Children's Hospital, Junior Achievement, and the United Way. I have taken advantage of opportunities
to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, the Pittsburgh Food Bank, and to help plant vegetables at local farms...all sponsored through Eat'n Park. "

As Julius speaks, a montage of photos runs, showing Eat'n Park volunteers at community events, waving to the camera, and helping plant at a local farm.

"We donate thousands of dollars each year worth of product, gift cards, and Smiley Cookies to help support our local churches and schools in their efforts to raise funds. The best thing about our volunteerism and charitable donations is that they're completely authentic. Nobody forces anyone to do it; our team members and managers genuinely care about helping others."

A photo montage shows two Eat'n Park volunteers with the Smiley mascot.

"Because of these factors, I don't just feel like a manager of a restaurant. I feel like my work is important and meaningful, and that it makes a difference in the lives of others."

The Eat'n Park logo appears as the Eat'n Park jingle plays in the background.

What Makes Eat'n Park Special

There’s a reason that we’ve been in business for over 70 years: team members who are passionate about delivering a fantastic experience for every guest, every day.  We recognize that our team members make us who we are, so we strive to support them and their communities in any way we can.

Below are some of the ways that we stand out from the crowd.

Tailored Training Programs

Everyone is unique and every job demands different skills.  That’s why you won’t find a one-size-fits-all training program at Eat’n Park. Our training programs are customized to meet our team members’ needs as they advance through our organization.  Whether you are an hourly or a salaried team member, your training is individualized based on your education and work experience.  We offer over 30 different classes, including but not limited to:

  • First Aid/CPR/AED
  • ServSafe®
  • Valuing Diversity
  • Interviewing Skills
  • Time Management  

Our tailored training programs are customized to meet our team members’ needs as they advance through our organization.

Bill Moore (left), our Director of Safety and Security, teaching a class to team members.


We believe that we offer a quality of training that is above the crowd. Training Magazine thought so too! In 2008, they ranked us among the country’s Top 125 training companies. 


Team Member Benefits

At Eat’n Park, we pride ourselves on taking care of our team members. In fact, in 2010, the American Business Ethics Award Program (ABEA) recognized Eat’n Park as a national award winner for our commitment to our team members and our local communities.

Depending on your role at Eat'n Park, you may be eligible for benefits such as:

  • Scholarships and Tuition Reimbursement
  • Paid Time Off
  • Flexible Scheduling
  • 401K Plan
  • Health/Life/Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Volunteer & Community Activity Programs
  • Meal Discounts
  • Extensive Training Opportunities
  • One weekend off per month for restaurant managers

Click here to see benefits available for hourly, management or corporate support center team members.


Sustainability Initiatives

We are a leader in the family dining industry when it comes to sustainability. Company-wide programs aim to reduce our environmental impact through lowered energy usage, decreased waste, and local sourcing.

In fact, 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. Through FarmSource, we offer fresh fruits, produce, meats, and dairy products that are produced within a 150-mile radius of our restaurants.

Jamie Moore, our Director of Sourcing and Sustainability, visits Ben Wiers of Wiers Farm in Willard, OH.

Jamie Moore (left), our Director of Sourcing and Sustainability, visits Dan Yarnick (right) of Yarnick's Farm in Indiana, PA. Yarnick's Farm supplies Eat’n Park Restaurants with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and yellow squash.

Inside our restaurants, small steps have a big impact. 100% of our trans-fat-free fryer oil is recycled into bio-diesel fuel. We’ve eliminated placemats in our restaurants to preserve trees and reduce landfill space.   We use recycled raw materials during restaurant construction and remodeling.  And in 2010, we made our biggest move yet: We opened the first LEED-built restaurant in the city of Pittsburgh.  This Eat’n Park location is packed to the gills with features that improve our energy efficiency and reduce our environmental footprint.  The restaurant even generates some of its own power through a 40-foot wind turbine on the roof.  Interested? Read more about this innovative restaurant here.


Community Involvement

Community involvement is woven into the fabric of the Eat’n Park culture. We're more than just a business; we're a neighbor. And as a neighbor, we're dedicated to doing our best to make the communities we serve as strong and vital as possible.  Every year, we donate five percent of our pre-tax earnings to local charitable organizations.   Working with community partners, we’re able to leverage our resources to raise funds for important causes. Perhaps our best-known program is our annual Caring for Kids campaign, which has raised over $10 million for local children’s hospitals over the past 30+ years. 

In fact, in 2011, we received the national Restaurant Neighbor Award from the National Restaurant Association for our fundraising efforts through Caring for Kids.  Our team members have poured their hearts into this campaign, and to be selected from all of the restaurants in the country was truly an honor.

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For more information on how we get involved with our communities, click here.


Volunteerism

We don’t just make financial donations; sometimes, the gift of time is even more powerful. Our team members annually donate more than 40,000 hours of their time to causes close their hearts. We support these team members in their efforts with a company-wide volunteer program that enables team members to make time for this important work, and recognizes them for their service.  Thanks to the dedication of our team members, our volunteer program has been recognized by the national Points of Light Foundation, and we’ve been a recipient of the Corporate Partner of the Year award from Pittsburgh Cares.

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Every year, we also like to recognize team members who have gone above and beyond in their community by presenting our Volunteer of the Year award. From over 1,000 dedicated volunteers, we pick one winner who receives a donation on behalf of the company towards the charity of their choice. 

Pictured above: Kayla Frattini, our 2019 Volunteer of the Year Winner.

2019 Volunteer of the Year finalists:

  • Aubriana Henry (Indiana Eat’n Park)
  • Joel Grimm (Clarion Eat’n Park)
  • Autumn Grimm (Clarion Eat’n Park)
  • Michael Riek (Somerset Eat’n Park)
  • Heather Hibala (Corporate Support Center)
  • Regina Diana (Avalon Eat’n Park) 
  • Magail Heaps (Greensburg Eat’n Park)


Corporate Giving

Throughout the last six decades, Eat’n Park’s core values have driven our growth: provide great dining experiences, great food, and great prices for every single guest while being a good neighbor in the communities we serve.

We invest at least 5% of our pre-tax earnings to support nonprofit organizations. We’re passionate about leveraging our dollars and resources to Enhance our Communities- One Smile at a Time.

We support a wide variety of causes, but our three primary areas of philanthropic focus are:

Sharing Smiles Supporting family wellness and fitness
Growing Smiles Providing access to healthy food and education about food choices, particularly for kids
Hero Smiles Enhancing the lives of military veterans and their families

    
Awards

We are constantly striving to exceed our guests' and team members' expectations. Click here to check out just some of our awards.