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| Vintage photo of the Pit (Courtesy of Your Pit BBQ) |
“About a year into it, Mr. Tedford decided it wasn’t for him, “ explained Steve Pinkley. "So Mom and Dad bought their portion out.”
Steve has many great memories of his parents running the Pit. One was the creative way in which his father drummed up business for the restaurant.
As Steve recalls, his father would take him and they would walk down the line at the Ford plant, visiting his friends. Just seeing him (“Pinky” to his friends) would remind them to stop in at the Pit if they hadn’t for a while. “They’ll come eat here tomorrow,” his father would say.
Another funny memory involved his mother and the monthly ritual of paying the bills.
Steve has many great memories of his parents running the Pit. One was the creative way in which his father drummed up business for the restaurant.
As Steve recalls, his father would take him and they would walk down the line at the Ford plant, visiting his friends. Just seeing him (“Pinky” to his friends) would remind them to stop in at the Pit if they hadn’t for a while. “They’ll come eat here tomorrow,” his father would say.
Another funny memory involved his mother and the monthly ritual of paying the bills.
“My mom was such an organizer,” laughed Steve. As he explained, a bill would be stuck on a nail on the wall until it was paid. They would grab a bill off the wall to pay it.
Mrs. Pinkley was particular about sorting and counting the money in preparation for deposit in the bank. “I had the job of doing that,” said Steve. His mother wanted it all nicely organized for the bank.
Mrs. Pinkley was particular about sorting and counting the money in preparation for deposit in the bank. “I had the job of doing that,” said Steve. His mother wanted it all nicely organized for the bank.
One time, when Steve was just a boy, he saw the big pile of money that was being counted and said to his mother, “We’re rich!”
Then his mother had to explain that first all those bills hanging on the wall had to be paid, as well as the employees. Then they could keep whatever was left after that.
Steve remembered how well his parents treated the employees. “My Mom and Dad were amazing owners,” he said. "Employees would stay for 10 to 12 years. They kept them for a long time.
“It was really a family,” said Steve.
Many things contributed to that family atmosphere. There were Christmas parties, and the Pinkleys would even treat their staff to a day at Cedar Point on a Wednesday.
Why Wednesday?
That was the day that the Pit was closed. You see, the Pinkleys originally wanted to close the restaurant on Sunday to honor the Sabbath. But as Steve noted, “People want to eat out.” So the decision was made to remain open on Sunday but be closed on Wednesday, which was a Baptist Church day. So Wednesday became the day that they would clean the restaurant.
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| Vintage Pit flyer drawn by Steve Pinkley |
Christmas was special at the Pit. That’s because since the age of 16, Steve began selling Christmas trees behind the restaurant with his mother. “I did that for 40 years,’ said Steve.
Steve’s parents had a big influence on him. “It was an honor to work with my Mom and Dad,” admitted Steve. “I loved those lessons. 'Use your gifts,' they would say.”
Those gifts and lessons learned would help Steve with his own endeavors in the hospitality business later, which included a grocery store and a restaurant.
Steve’s parents had a big influence on him. “It was an honor to work with my Mom and Dad,” admitted Steve. “I loved those lessons. 'Use your gifts,' they would say.”
Those gifts and lessons learned would help Steve with his own endeavors in the hospitality business later, which included a grocery store and a restaurant.
Next: The rest of the story
5 comments:
Wasn't there a Cappy's Tedford Inn on Bway near 20th?
I mentioned the Ted Cap Inn back on this post:
http://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2013/11/alex-visci-quartet-at-three-sisters.html
I remember my family buying our Christmas trees at the Pit for many years.
Ah..yes.Fords world famous Lorain Assembly Plant....Built world class muscle cars in the 60s and early 70s.Cars were built there by real men and women like Mr. Pinkley...People who actually worked for their money!Not like todays youngster millenials who want to play on their phone all day and have a job as an "influencer".I'm glad Mr.Pinkley worked at a real job like one at Ford and started a real business that he wanted to get into.And made it successful for all of these years.Some of todays little youngster slackers should take heed and not try to take the easy way out of life....If you work hard you will reap the rewards.....Dan unless you already have,you should do a story on the old Lorain Assembly Plant.Some very valuable and important automobiles were built at that plant.And all were mostly built by local Lorain County residents.Fords very first compact car,the Ford Falcon,was built there.Numerous muscle cars and factory NHRA drag race cars were built there.We're talking very low production,very valuable cars here....Empty bodies in white(just the shell with hood,doors and trunk lid)went down the line and out the door straight to Ford NASCAR teams.And races and championships were won with those very body shells that had Lorain County hands on them first!The original 1976-1979 Starsky and Hutch TV series Torinos(there were 2 of them)were built at the Lorain Assembly Plant.Lorain Assembly built cars that won the Motor Trend Car Of The Year Award 3 different years.1971,1987 and 1989.The list goes on and on.It's too bad it was closed down in 2006.Alot of it had to do with the UAW....And now the UAW is in their own scandal,and will probably be taken over by the federal government(What goes around comes around).But now Lorain Assembly is partially torn down.....But for whatever it's worth the hard work and true grit from real men and women like Mr. Pinkley will forever live on.
In reply to the above post.You are spot on.Lorain Assembly was one of Fords flagship plants....Until a falling out with the UAW doomed it...Plus the city of Lorain sued Ford over a paint shop that was installed without the proper permits.Both combined plus other circumstances,Ford decided enough was enough and closed it up.Sad,very sad....In reference to those Motor Trend Car of the Year Awards that Lorain Assembly racked up through the years.It was in 1970 that Lorain Assembly won its first Motor Trend Award.It was for the radically restyled 1970 Ford Torino.Then it won the award again in 1987 for the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.And then finally in 1989 for the advanced Thunderbird Super Coupe.So Lorain Assembly didn't build garbage like the foreigners would like you to believe.It had world class American workers...Just going to work and living their lives like you and I and Mr.Pinkley...Times were much better then.
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