Longtime patrons still heading for Hills
Co-owner Jessica Crockard holds a country western omelet – three eggs with potatoes, green peppers, onions, ham, cheese.
Homemade apple, lemon and cherry pie is served daily Hills Restaurant.
Bob Zelinski of Finleyville enjoys a cup of coffee at Hills Restaurant.
The exteroir of Hills Restaurant in New Eagle.
Jessica and Frank Crockard are parents of four, so they knew how to run a family. But they had never operated a family business before.
That was on their radar, though. The Crockards, specifically, had an underlying desire to own a restaurant. They loved food – who doesn’t? – but they were veritable foodies as well. She was a professional chef, he nearly opted for culinary school.
About a year ago, they seized an opportunity. Hills Restaurant, a New Eagle staple and long-time Mon Valley favorite, was on the market. Frank and Jessica had become regulars there and liked the place, liked the location, loved the possibilities. So they bought it.
The Crockards took over in late February, and 11 months later have no regrets.
“Things are going well,” Frank says. “It’s been busy, that’s for sure. We’re glad we made the decision.”
“The amount of support everyone has given us has been tremendous,” his wife adds.
Since 1963, Hills has been at a peak in the Valley. It sits on Main Street – Route 88 – about 100 yards from the Monongahela line, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts.
Hills sits there somewhat inconspicuously as well, a barn-shaped structure with tasteful signage. Inside, there is seating for 75 in either the dining room or at a counter that seems as long as a bowling lane. The well-lit dining room, partitioned from the counter and register, features about a dozen booths, the walls adorned with retro photos. A artsy holiday stocking accompanied each picture a month ago.
The semi-new owners expanded the banquet room in the back to accommodate 70, a redo that is paying off, as Jessica notes that parties are increasing.
Breakfast may be Hills’ main attraction, especially on weekends. But lunch bunches are common and dinner business, she said recently, “has definitely picked up.”
They’ve retained the majority of the menu of the previous owner, Patty Radic, who retired. That plays well with an integral element of Hills’ operation: the array of regular customers.
“Everyone here now is a regular,” Jessica says, waving toward a generously sized breakfast crowd.
She and Frank knew they were getting a substantial structure, with concrete floors and walls, but discovered early on they had more space than they anticipated. It is useless space, though. “There’s a third floor,” Frank says, adding there are no steps leading to it. “There’s nothing there. This was supposed to be a five-story hotel, but I guess (someone) ran out of money, put a roof on and called it a day.”
Bill Hill, a Mon City resident and Washington County’s sheriff at the time, launched the namesake enterprise during the Kennedy administration. Hills was a 24/7 dining destination for a number of years, when local mills were going full bore. Subsequent owners scaled back the hours in the 1980s, after the industries scaled back or shuttered operations.
Frank and Jessica, the fourth ownership entity, open their eatery seven days a week, starting at 7 a.m., and serve all three meals on weekdays, breakfast and lunch on weekends. The restaurant closes at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Like many small business owners, the Crockards do a little of everything at Hills. Both are bakers, both run the register, both supervise a staff of 15. All while sometimes tending to their two youngest, Jocelyn, 2, and Denver, 1 (sons Dylan, 18, and Austin, 12, are occasionally on hand, but don’t require a higher level of attention).
The family is local, residing in Fallowfield Township. Jessica’s roots are in the Valley – she graduated from Charleroi Area High School. Frank grew up near the Mon River as well, in Carmichaels. He ultimately chose Waynesburg University over culinary school, falling just shy of a business degree.
Jessica said the kitchen is her domain – as it should be. She is an experienced chef with a bachelor’s degree in pastry arts from Johnson & Wales University, which is renowned for its culinary programs.
“But for the most part, we have a really good staff. We don’t have to jump in too often,” says Jessica, who for eight years was a chef and kitchen manager at Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport following a kitchen stint at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
Kathy Acton Mason of Monongahela is one of those staffers, a Hills waitress for 30 years. She knows regulars.
“I’ve seen customers come and go. A lot came to my wedding,” she says. “Your customers become your family because they’re here all the time.”
Mason remembers when Hills was a round-the-clock endeavor, when the “counter was full every day.” Yet she is still a busy employee, and still likes her job – perhaps more than ever.
“I’ve been through four owners,” Mason says, “and Jess is the sweetest and nicest owner I’ve had.”
It has likewise been a sweet experience for the Crockards. As well as rewarding.
Hills Restaurant is located at 107 Main Street in New Eagle. For more information, call 724-258-5422 or visit www.hills-restaurant.com.