JENNERSTOWN, Pa. – Nearly 30 years ago, Tina Buckham woke up to the sound of a curtain rail falling to the floor and the thick smell of smoke.
Buckham said he escaped the fast-spreading fire with his life, but left with very little except for a drawing of a flying lion he had done in high school several years ago.
Now, that lion is the inspiration for and the name of her restaurant on U.S. Highway 30 in Jennerstown.
And inside, Buckham says the Flying Lion Pub & Eatery reflects the journey that got her to where she is, from the paintings on the walls to the way the place is run.
“I think life goes in circles and eventually you get somewhere,” she said, noting that a lion she once painted on a whim now adorns her restaurant at 1498 W. Pitt St.
So was Buckham’s own life.
She’d worked in the restaurant industry for decades, including at Hidden Valley Resort, former Jennerstown landmark Truillo Steak House and even corporate-run restaurants, where she despised the endless “one-size-fits-all” management approach.
She worked every aspect of running a restaurant, from waitressing to working in the kitchen and running banquets.
“I always knew I could do this,” she said of the idea of running her own restaurant.
It was simply a matter of timing and opportunity, she said.
With the help of a friend and a business advisor, the North Star High School graduate was able to purchase a closed bar in 2015 and open Flyin Lion later that summer.
For Mr Buckham, 50, cooking is another art.
She says many of her creations, including the sauces she tops them with, are the result of flavor experimentation.
These include a sun-dried tomato-filled bacon Parmesan topping on rib eye, prime rib and filet mignon steaks, and an aromatic apricot glaze on sweet and savory pork shanks.
Buckham said the restaurant traditionally has a constantly changing special menu featuring hard-to-find duck, seafood and other entrées.
But Buckham has tried to keep the Flying Lion alive as a “neighborhood restaurant” with a menu to suit all tastes in the Jennerstown area.
Her goal is to offer a menu that’s halfway between diner fare and the fine dining served at places like Jean Bonnet Tavern in Bedford.
“We’re part of a small neighborhood,” she said of Jennerstown. “We can’t serve $15 burgers here.”
Instead, main dishes will start at around $11.99 and go up a price range.
Flyin’ Lion’s menu also includes sandwiches, including a 1/3-pound burger, chicken sandwiches and wings with more than 20 different spices and sauces.
This includes everything from traditional spicy and butter-garlic blends to originals like blackberry-ginger hoisin and “sweet and mild” pineapple-chipotle.
Like Menu, Buckham has learned to find balance in life.
A few years after opening the restaurant, she and her partner Mary adopted two children, which marked another step forward in their lives.
The boys are now 5 and 8 years old.
Their paintings also hang on Flyin Lion’s four walls, as well as in outdoor landscapes depicting her family’s Grey Area farm.
“They keep us busy,” she said with a smile.
She said her loyal employees have helped her keep the restaurant thriving.
She’s been in their shoes before and trusts them to treat customers well and resolve issues if an order is incorrect.
Buckham said she listens when they have ideas, and when they decided to chip in and share each day, she supported the idea.
Everyone at the restaurant makes at least $15 an hour, she said.
Like most restaurants in the industry, Flyin Lion needs more employees, but she says treating current employees fairly has helped them retain good employees.
“I’m really lucky to have so much good help,” she said.
Running a restaurant isn’t for everyone, Buckham said.
It’s hard work, long days, and a labor of love.
“But it works for me,” she said.
