Permanently Grounded: Waynesburg airport restaurant closes doors after two decades
After 22 years, it鈥檚 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鈥檚 entrance. Kiger said she is giving back some of the relics regulars donated over the years, if they鈥檇 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 closing, last week.
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It鈥檚 been a good run(way) for Airport Restaurant, a local favorite that is, after more than 20 years, closing its doors permanently.
鈥淲e had a fire, and then we were closed for a year-and-a-half,鈥� said Kathy Kiger, who opened the restaurant in October 2000. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure when its (renovations) were going to be done. I thought this was a good time to close.鈥�
In March of last year, a fire sparked inside the Greene County Airport鈥檚 radio room, causing smoke and water damage to the building. The magistrate鈥檚 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to really miss it,鈥� 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 did work there for a little while, when it was AJ鈥檚 Landing,鈥� Kiger said. 鈥淚 volunteered at the hospital years ago, in their kitchen. I thought, I can do this.鈥�
So she applied. And business took off.
For the first five years as restaurant owner, Kiger鈥檚 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.
鈥淲henever I needed them, they were there,鈥� she said.
Like her family, Kiger鈥檚 staff was 鈥渧ery dependable.鈥�
鈥淲e had a great staff. We had very little turnover,鈥� 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.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have to buy any uniforms or anything. It was all good,鈥� she said.
All good, too, was the menu.
鈥淲e pretty much had the same menu for the last 20 years,鈥� Kiger laughed. 鈥淚t was breakfast all day. We sold a lot of roast beefs in the morning.鈥�
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鈥檚 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.
鈥淲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,鈥� she said.
Customers had their favorite orders 鈥� and their favorite seats.
Every morning, a group of older gentlemen gathered in the same spot. If they weren鈥檛 able to make it in, they鈥檇 call the restaurant, so Kiger wouldn鈥檛 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.
鈥淐oal miners started meeting 鈥� I don鈥檛 know what mine it was from 鈥� once a month. We would just keep putting tables together. More would come, and we鈥檇 have a whole restaurant full of retired coal miners,鈥� Kiger said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 fancy. It was a community place.鈥�
When you stepped inside Airport Restaurant, you were part of that community.
鈥淧eople that didn鈥檛 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,鈥� Kiger said. 鈥淭hat happened a lot.鈥�
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鈥檚 birthday, she鈥檇 give a heads-up to one of her regulars.
鈥淚鈥檇 tell Gary Rohanna, and he鈥檇 say, 鈥業鈥檇 like to have everyone鈥檚 attention, please. It鈥檚 (so-and-so)鈥檚 birthday.鈥� And everybody in the restaurant would sing 鈥楬appy Birthday,'鈥� she said. 鈥淭he people were awesome, especially the regulars.鈥�
On the walls of Airport Restaurant hung shadow boxes, posters (including The Three Stooges, Kiger鈥檚 first restaurant decoration) and large collages featuring photos of regulars.
鈥淧eople would come in and say, 鈥業 know these people,'鈥� laughed Kiger. 鈥淥r they鈥檇 say, 鈥榃hen am I going to be on the wall?'鈥�
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鈥檇 thank Airport Restaurant staff, wave goodbye, and climb into their airplanes before making grand exits into the sky.
鈥淧eople loved to watch those planes take off,鈥� Kiger said. 鈥淟ittle kids 鈥� instead of going to McDonald鈥檚, they would want to come to the airport to see the planes take off.鈥�
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.
鈥淲e were a very small restaurant. I鈥檝e seen babies grow up,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to miss seeing all those people every day.鈥�