The Tavern on the Square

A blog that comes from the heart of a wonderful little restaurant in a beautiful little town of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. 724-946-2020 We are a Casual Fine Dining Establishment with amazing food, reasonable prices, great service in a delightful atmosphere. Come visit us soon.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Throw back the shoulders, let the heart sing, let the eyes flash, let the mind be lifted up, look upward and say to yourself... Nothing is impossible!"
~ Norman Vincent Peale

Labels:

A political opinion..



What do you think? How do you feel about our government? Do you think America is the same America our founding Fathers had in mind?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

We Love our Tavern Team!

ImageChef Word Mosaic - ImageChef.com



We had such a blast last night gathering together for fun rather than work! We had 17 of our Tavern Team together eating and playing games. It is so good to laugh together and get to know each other outside of the work environment! Joe and I are so appreciative of all the people who help to make this restaurant successful. We are blessed to have this family! We love these kids so much! At the Neshannock Creek Inn, we became a family together. WE have a bond that is hard to break. Now we have a new family! Yeah Tavern Team!! Let's make this restaurant great together!!!

Our new Sign!


Have you seen our new sign out front? Gib McGill, the INCREDIBLE artist who painted the murals in the Tavern painted our sign for us that sits in front of the building. Gib was one of God's blessings that was sent our way. He painted that sign for us, while he was away from home. Gib and his beautiful wife Merrianne will always hold a special place in our hearts for the blessing they bestowed upon us! They have become a part of the Tavern's life story! : )

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Game night tonight!


Tonight is Game night at the Tavern! The whole Tavern team is getting together after work to hang out and have fun together!! We are going to eat and play games and laugh and have fun! I'm so excited about this, because this whole month I have had to be a boss and being a boss is not fun for me. I want my Tavern family to know me outside of work..I'm really nice..HONESTLY! : ) So tonight, I get to be one of the gang..not the boss..not the leader..just one of the group!


I'm making hot-wing dip and cream cheese pineapple dip and brownies..

Joe's making wings..

We have a lot of college and younger kids working at the Tavern..

They like to eat!! We'll need lots of food.

I better get cooking... Have a beautiful day today!
Make it beautiful! Susan

You've got to watch this video!

This is what giving is..

This is what Christ's love is all about. Can you imagine what these boys must have felt like? Do you think they will ever forget that night? They knew they didn't deserve to have fans...they probably felt like trash..garbage..playing all those football games previously with no applause...teams wanting to beat them because they were "bad"...just imagine. BUT then there's this game.. fans cheering for them?? A spirit line?? WOW..

Do something like this..
Change a life today
Show Jesus to someone.
It will make your heart feel so good too.
Love and Peace, Susan

Monday, March 23, 2009

Just finished creating our logo!


This will be on our business cards and on stickers that will go on our shopping bags, take out bags and bakery boxes and bags!!! I have been wanting to get this done since before we opened! Here it is...

A note...


I just want you all to know that we ARE working on the bakery! It has been remodeled and it is waiting for us to fill it with incredible things! We have to go in phases and make sure our foundation is strong, before we can begin the next phase. Also,We ARE going to have a grand-opening gratitude party soon!!
Because of the death of my father in law, my husband has a new load to carry. He is in charge of cleaning, closing and selling his house. So please bear with us and know that it is coming soon. We must take one step at a time.. we can only do so much! Thanks for your patience and grace..and friends..thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I can not express adequately how much you mean to us! We LOVE this community..we LOVE the Tavern and it's family so very much! WE know that God has placed us here for a purpose and we are going to do the very best job we can to make this community a better place! Susan

Today!



Good Morning my Tavern friends!
Oh what a beautiful morning it is. I sit here in front of my window, the cool air flowing in and the sunshine..oh the beautiful sun shine is pouring down on me! I take a big deep breath of it..I breathe it all in, the cool air, the sunshine, the noises of the lumber yard next door.. the day!MMMM..Have you ever just breathed in the day? You just sit back and take it all in...feel it..the sights, the sounds..the smells..
God is good. God is so, so good! I love to wake up. I love the fact that I get to live another day. I get to be among people today. I get to hug someone. I get to smile. I get to love on someone. I get to make someone feel good. I have something to do today! You know how wonderful that is? To have a purpose..a reason to exist! God has something in mind for you today too! What is it?
My father in law's funeral was yesterday. As my girls and I sat in one of the chairs in the waiting room, my daughter said to me, "I hope a lot of people come to my funeral." Ahh, that was one of those moments that I knew I could make teachable to my girls!
"That's up to you, Ally," I told her. "You have the ability to shape your own destiny. God gave us free will. He gave us this life. He didn't just create us, so we can live and take up space. He created us for a reason and a purpose." I continued, "Isn't it weird that people would want to be funeral directors, or the doctors that tell people their loved one has died, or garbage men or dentists..? God gives people gifts and talents and abilities and desires. It is up to us to use those gifts and abilities."
"Ally, Jesus used his abilities to make the world a better place. It's up to you, no matter what you do..teacher or nurse, mom, wife, student..waitress..artist.. whatever it is that God put into your heart..use it for good! Make the world a better place! Love people, help people, show them Jesus. The more you give..the more you love..the more good you do.. the more people will love you back..and the more people will want to come to your funeral."
So.. what are you going to do today, to make the world a better place? It's not a hard thing to do.. you can just smile at someone and make them feel good.
Say a kind word...buy someone lunch...send someone a card.. Just do something!
Enjoy the day. Laugh! Smile! Breathe it in.. be thankful! God's given you another day.... don't waste it! Love ya, Susan : )

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Prayer request

Joe's dad passed away this week. The funeral is Sunday. Please pray for our family. We will be out of town on Sunday, but we have entrusted The Tavern in the hands of our team! Please pray that all goes well Sunday. Please pray that the Lord gives us strength and endurance and peace and comfort to get through the day.
Thank you my prayer warriors! I know that you will be praying for us!
Much Love, Susan L. Hougelman

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Tavern loves those Rad Hat Ladies!




On Monday we hosted the Red Hat Mommas! I think they were the Red HOT mommas! They were a lot of fun! Thank you girls for visiting us! You brighten the place with your colorful character! Susan

More famous visitors at the Tavern!

Cowabunga!
Today we had the pleasure of serving Bill and Marg Kennedy!



Do you know who Bill Kennedy is?

I'll give you some hints!

He is not a moooovie actor!

He has a creamy complexion!

He is very handy!

Bill invented something that is sold all over the world!
He is udderly Fantastic!
Bill Kennedy invented UDDER CREAM!

Bill and Marg have been coming to the Tavern for over 50 years and they were so happy that we opened up again! They are from Ohio and told me that when they need to get away, they come to this area where it's so quiet and beautiful!
They came in and were so very kind and friendly. After we talked for a while, they told me about Bill's invention. I had to share the news with our cook Pam, because Pam has milked cows her whole life! She loves cows and said that she loved udder cream! Bill and Marg went out to the car and brought us a whole bag of their wonderful cream! We were so excited.
I love people! I love meeting new friends. I am so honored and priveledged to be able to meet so many wonderful people!
Bill and Marg, I hope you make many new memories at our Tavern! May the Lord bless you and bring you much joy! Susan

Wednesday, March 11, 2009


"Alone we can do so little;
together we can do so much."
- Helen Keller

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Homemade Quiche!


Joe's making homemade quiche this week! He has two favorites..bacon and swiss and ham and cheddar! It is served with a fresh garden salad or cup of soup! Come and see us for lunch! : )

Our first wedding!


We had our first wedding at the Tavern on Saturday. Rebecca and Len renewed their wedding vows upstairs in the Green room! It was a beautiful, romantic, celebration of two people's love for one another and love for God! What an honor and priveledge to be a part of someone's life story! : )
Congratulations Becky and Len! May your love flow freely forever!
Susan

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Great News!!!

I am sitting over here at the Tavern, on the internet, working on our menu. We are making some changes, fixing some things, trying to get it just perfect. BUT..that's not the exciting news. Joe and I are setting a date for our great big GRATITUDE PARTY/Grand Opening, and we are also setting a date for the BAKERY to open!! WOOHOOO! They will co-incide with each other. We will (God-willing) be open by EASTER! We will have Easter breads, donuts, muffins, nut-rolls, poppy-seed rolls, lamb cakes and so much more for sale for Easter!!!

So many exciting things are yet to come!! YOU JUST WAIT AND SEE!!

We are going to be a great community/family together!! I love YOU ALL so very much! It is so wonderful to greet friends every single day. I love to feed people well and make them feel good at the same time! When you come through the doors of the Tavern, I am so glad to see you! We are all glad to see you! Thank you New Wilmington and friends from around this area! You are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Susan

Tuesday, March 3, 2009


Hello family and friends of the Tavern!
I'd like to tell you what's been going on these past few weeks! We're up and running and it has been A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, what GOD has been doing for us, through us, with us and all around us! We are GROWING! We are growing as a restaurant and as a team and as a family. We are all learning how to work in this new business. We are learning how to cook from the kitchen, we are learning what goes well, and what doesn't go well. We are learning how to get the sticky bun recipe just right. We are learning how to serve your food and make sure it is hot! We are learning how to get it out quickly from the kitchen! We are learning all about each other. We are learning what we like and don't like here! We are learning what YOU like and don't like! WOW!! IT has been so wonderful so far..I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the future!!!
Many of you have been asking when the bakery is coming! We are going to try to get it up and running by EASTER!!! WOOHOOO! We are going to start taking orders for Easter breads, date/nut rolls and Lamb cakes very soon! This next week Joe and I are going to try to devote some time to the Bakery! It's coming soon...we promise!!
Oh friends, everything that God has shown me is happening. It's HIS vision..This place belongs to God and we are going to do EVERYTHING here for His Glory! He helped us get this restaurant, and he helped us fix it up! It's all for Him!!
YEAH!!!! Can you tell that I'm just a little bit excited today? I am just feeling that..that Holy Spirit...His Love is just surrounding me today! It truly is a day filled with Sonshine!! : ) I hope you're basking in it too! See you soon!
Your friend Always, Susan

Our Menu is up!

Check out the menu! It's over on the right hand side of the blog, underneath the telephone number and the picture of a menu! It's a link that will take you to The Tavern on the Square Menu! Wooohoo! Thanks for being patient with us! We have so much more to do yet with this restaurant. We love YOU! Susan and Joe