Permanently Grounded: Waynesburg airport restaurant closes doors after two decades
After 22 years, it无毛视频檚 the end of the journey for Airport Restaurant in Greene County. The popular dining spot has been closed for a year- and-a-half, after a fire in March 2021, and the owner Kathy Kiger announced her retirement last week. (Photos by Katherine Mansfield)
Katherine Mansfield
Earnie Funk was a Greene County Airport Restaurant regular, and a chair bearing his name sat at the eatery无毛视频檚 entrance. Kiger said she is giving back some of the relics regulars donated over the years, if they无毛视频檇 like to have those keepsakes for themselves.
Kathy Kiger stands at the entrance to the Greene County Airport Restaurant, which she has owned since 2000. Last week, Kiger announced her retirement and the beloved dining spot无毛视频檚 closure. (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
For more than two decades, Kathy Kiger has considered the Greene County Airport, where she runs the Greene County Airport Restaurant, her home away from home. Kiger announced her retirement, and the eatery无毛视频檚 closing, last week.
news@greenecountymessenger.com
It无毛视频檚 been a good run(way) for Airport Restaurant, a local favorite that is, after more than 20 years, closing its doors permanently.
无毛视频淲e had a fire, and then we were closed for a year-and-a-half,无毛视频� said Kathy Kiger, who opened the restaurant in October 2000. 无毛视频淚 wasn无毛视频檛 sure when its (renovations) were going to be done. I thought this was a good time to close.无毛视频�
In March of last year, a fire sparked inside the Greene County Airport无毛视频檚 radio room, causing smoke and water damage to the building. The magistrate无毛视频檚 office was relocated and Airport Restaurant temporarily closed while repairs were made to the administrative building.
What at first appeared to be a quick interior repair turned into a massive renovation to bring the building up to code. The ventilation ductwork, electrical and climate control systems were upgraded, and the space is receiving cosmetic improvements, too.
Kiger said waiting for the building to reopen has been frustrating and played into her decision to close Airport Restaurant and soar gently into retirement.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 going to really miss it,无毛视频� she said.
As a child, Kiger never dreamed she would one day own and serve at her own restaurant. But after getting married and working as a stay-at-home mother, an opportunity arose.
AJ无毛视频檚 Landing, a popular restaurant, had been closed for some time, and Greene County was seeking applications for a new restaurant owner to open up alongside the airport runway in Waynesburg.
无毛视频淚 did work there for a little while, when it was AJ无毛视频檚 Landing,无毛视频� Kiger said. 无毛视频淚 volunteered at the hospital years ago, in their kitchen. I thought, I can do this.无毛视频�
So she applied. And business took off.
For the first five years as restaurant owner, Kiger无毛视频檚 husband helped her every chance he could. Over the years, her children and grandchildren have also risen to the occasion, serving and washing dishes when needed.
无毛视频淲henever I needed them, they were there,无毛视频� she said.
Like her family, Kiger无毛视频檚 staff was 无毛视频渧ery dependable.无毛视频�
无毛视频淲e had a great staff. We had very little turnover,无毛视频� she said.
Though staff sometimes wore Airport Restaurant tees, most employees sported T-shirts donated by local businesses, who gave Kiger the shirts in exchange for free advertising. Kiger said it was one of her best ideas.
无毛视频淲e didn无毛视频檛 have to buy any uniforms or anything. It was all good,无毛视频� she said.
All good, too, was the menu.
无毛视频淲e pretty much had the same menu for the last 20 years,无毛视频� Kiger laughed. 无毛视频淚t was breakfast all day. We sold a lot of roast beefs in the morning.无毛视频�
The roast beef sandwich was popular, and folks loved the burgers, in-house ranch and freshly baked biscuits. But the fan favorite, Kiger said, was Airport Restaurant无毛视频檚 garbage plate, with scrambled eggs, green peppers, onions, ham, sausage and cheese all mixed together and served piping hot.
Kiger ran daily specials, but said most people knew what they liked and stuck to their orders.
无毛视频淲e had very, very good regulars that would come in every single day. I could tell you what they ate and what they drank before they even walked in the door,无毛视频� she said.
Customers had their favorite orders 无毛视频� and their favorite seats.
Every morning, a group of older gentlemen gathered in the same spot. If they weren无毛视频檛 able to make it in, they无毛视频檇 call the restaurant, so Kiger wouldn无毛视频檛 worry.
She reserved a table for the same lunch party, which dined in daily for years, and recalled how state troopers, Greene County commissioners and prominent members of local organizations often dropped in for food, meetings and fellowship.
无毛视频淐oal miners started meeting 无毛视频� I don无毛视频檛 know what mine it was from 无毛视频� once a month. We would just keep putting tables together. More would come, and we无毛视频檇 have a whole restaurant full of retired coal miners,无毛视频� Kiger said. 无毛视频淚t wasn无毛视频檛 fancy. It was a community place.无毛视频�
When you stepped inside Airport Restaurant, you were part of that community.
无毛视频淧eople that didn无毛视频檛 even know each other would come in. There would be, like, a family, a mother, a father and a baby. Someone older would say, I want to pick up the check for them,无毛视频� Kiger said. 无毛视频淭hat happened a lot.无毛视频�
Not as often, but just as wonderful, were impromptu birthday celebrations. Kiger said when a customer announced they were celebrating their breakfast or lunch date无毛视频檚 birthday, she无毛视频檇 give a heads-up to one of her regulars.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檇 tell Gary Rohanna, and he无毛视频檇 say, 无毛视频業无毛视频檇 like to have everyone无毛视频檚 attention, please. It无毛视频檚 (so-and-so)无毛视频檚 birthday.无毛视频� And everybody in the restaurant would sing 无毛视频楬appy Birthday,'无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淭he people were awesome, especially the regulars.无毛视频�
On the walls of Airport Restaurant hung shadow boxes, posters (including The Three Stooges, Kiger无毛视频檚 first restaurant decoration) and large collages featuring photos of regulars.
无毛视频淧eople would come in and say, 无毛视频業 know these people,'无毛视频� laughed Kiger. 无毛视频淥r they无毛视频檇 say, 无毛视频榃hen am I going to be on the wall?'无毛视频�
One of the neatest parts of dining in at Airport Restaurant was, naturally, the view.
Pilots often flew in from Morgantown or Rostraver for a bite to eat. They无毛视频檇 thank Airport Restaurant staff, wave goodbye, and climb into their airplanes before making grand exits into the sky.
无毛视频淧eople loved to watch those planes take off,无毛视频� Kiger said. 无毛视频淟ittle kids 无毛视频� instead of going to McDonald无毛视频檚, they would want to come to the airport to see the planes take off.无毛视频�
Now, Airport Restaurant, which took off two decades ago, has finally landed, and is permanently grounded. Kiger said again and again the thing she is going to miss most is her customers.
无毛视频淲e were a very small restaurant. I无毛视频檝e seen babies grow up,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 going to miss seeing all those people every day.无毛视频�