Aloha to Fairway Pizza, Suncoast Animal League, and College Mentors

During our recent visit to Florida, we stopped by Fairway Pizza in Palm Harbor.  From its website (link), 

For years we have served great food in a warm, comfortable atmosphere. For that reason, many of our customers have become like family to us. We hope to make you a part of our family also. Our food is prepared from our own recipes, using nothing but the best and freshest ingredients available. We do our best to be as prompt as possible in preparing your food. However, we will not compromise quality, so on occasion we may have to ask you to be patient. We know you will agree that it was well worth the wait. So enjoy, and welcome to the family.

Steve and Kathie

I worked at Fairway Pizza (at its previous location) during college.  We'll come back to that.  When my family arrived at Fairway Pizza, we noticed the large sign for the Suncoast Animal League,  From its website (link), 

Suncoast Animal League is a non-profit, no-kill animal rescue agency that takes in abandoned, abused, homeless and unwanted animals. We provide medical treatment, shelter, socialization and plenty of love to the animals while they wait for their forever home. Additionally, we provide specialized services for animals traumatized from previous experiences and – in some cases – provide temporary foster care in a home setting for those animals in need of more intense, hands-on care. Suncoast Animal League also counsels existing pet owners in solving common pet problems so that more animals are not abandoned or taken to shelters.

Fairway Pizza often hosts adoption events and dog washes in its back parking lot.  Hats off to Steve and Kathy for supporting this charitable endeavor!

Back to my college employment, Fairway Pizza was my first real job.  I was hired as a prep helper and dishwasher.  As soon as I turned 19, I was legal to serve beer so I was promoted to waitress.  Steve and Kathy taught me everything I needed to know about customer service - knowledge that carried me through the Air Force and community volunteering.  I also learned how to make quality food and build a strong foundation for family business.  Finally, I appreciate that they treated me like a friend as I matured through an awkward period during college.  

(Steve knows a few of my college antics ... but I also know his secret recipes).

This is the second, and expanded, location for Fairway Pizza. It now offers the Sports Page Pub with an outdoor deck and live music on the weekend.   Several families who adopted dogs enjoyed lunch on the deck; the dogs were treated to water bowls.

Thank you, Steve and Kathy, for welcoming my family!  Across the street, I noticed the Chatterbox North Family Restaurant, which gave me a chuckle.  The Chatterbox was a dive bar in South Tampa during my college years.  Sadly, the Chatterbox closed in 2001 (link).

Do you have a favorite family restaurant?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's posts wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 26, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 27, at SOS Aloha (link).

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

Chatterbox Restaurant in Palm Harbor

not to be confused with the Chatterbox Bar in Tampa