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.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Christmas at the Tavern!



I know..I know what you might be thinking. It's July! I know..but guess what? I LOVE Christmas sooo much! It's my Savior's Birthday! Guess what else? We are getting Christmas parties booked already..and more than just a few of them! If you knw that your group and/or family is going to be having a Christmas party, start thinking of a date and give us a call! Christmas at the Tavern is going to be SPECTACULAR! I Promise you that it will be something like you've never seen before. We are going to decorate every room for Christmas with a different tree and a different theme! We will have Christmas pictures and ornaments, and Floral arrangements and so much more for sale all throughout the entire Tavern. You can walk through the whole building and view each room! We are going to have Breakfast with Santa at the Tavern and special Christmas Teas! We are going to have a violinist play Christmas carols and I want to have a noel night, with Dickens Carolers! I want to do the whole "Old fashioned CHristmas" theme!! Oh can you feel my excitement. It truly is going to be Really, REALLY wonderful! I want family traditions to be made once again at the Tavern! I want us to bring back those memories of Christmas dinners past! Give us a call! Make your reservation. We will Celebrate Christ's birth together! Oh yeah..we also have a fireplace that we'll keep lit every night in November and December! Hugs, Susan

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Prayer!

A friend sent me this prayer today and I thought I'd share it with you. God is so good! With His Love, Susan

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you.. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may havewords of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly..

This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

With gratitude..


We are quite overwhelmed with the responses we have gotten from the two articles that were published this week about the Tavern! WOW! Our phone has been ringing off the hook, and we've gotten over five hundred hits this week on our blog! YOU FOLKS LOVE THE TAVERN! I can't even put in words how much I love meeting all of you who come in and share your Tavern memories with me! I love seeing you smile and receiving your hugs and sharing the beauty of it with you! Your words are so kind and loving and gracious! I truly AM overwhelmed. The gratitude that fills my soul is enormous! Thank you friends and Tavern family! Thank you from our hearts, for your support and love and kindess. We love you back, I assure you. Please come in and let us fill your bellies up with good food and your hearts up with love!
With the love that can only come from the Lord, I thank you so very much. Your friend, Susan

Monday, June 22, 2009

Owen


This is Owen. He is a beautiful little boy. Just look at those cheeks! He will give you the cutest little puppy dog look with a great big smile that will surely melt your heart. It did mine. He came into the Tavern one day with his mom and grandma and lots of other friends, and I felt my heart warm up. He is a special little boy.

Owen needs a kidney transplant. THis weekend lots of
people who love Owen are holding a benefit for him. Here's the information!


Hi Everyone!

I'm passing along the news of a benefit that is being held on June 26th and June 27th for Owen Bauer. The benefit includes a spaghetti dinner, a relay, 50/50 raffle, rummage sale, bake sale, silent auction, and the sale of t-shirts. Owen is 11 months old and needs a kidney transplant. He was born with underdeveloped kidneys. He is on ten medications and has a feeding tube. Owen has recently reached his goal weight of 22lbs needed for the transplant. Currently three people are getting tested to be potential donors, if one of them is a match Owen could get a kidney as early as late summer!

Most of you that I'm sending this email to know that Owen is the son of Shawn and Jennifer Bauer in fact, most of us that I'm sending this to have known both Jenn and Shawn since elementary school so we all know what amazing people they are. Lauren (McCann) Miller and Angela (Sweet) Polansky have coordinated this entire benefit for Owen but, they still need tons of help. Below is the schedule of events and information on the numerous ways we can all pitch in to help Shawn, Jenn, and Owen.


Friday, June 26th the benefit weekend kicks off with a spaghetti dinner being held at the New Wilmington Presbyterian Church from 4-7 pm. The church is located at 229 South Market Street New Wilmington, PA 16142.
For more information on the cost of this event or if you can volunteer in any way please contact Lauren at: lauren_mccann@hotmail.com or Angela at: asweet20@zoominternet.net.
I know some of the things they need for this dinner are: food and supplies donated, people who are willing to cook and serve, someone reliable to take the money at door for people who haven't bought tickets ahead of time, people to sell tickets to the dinner before hand, and most of all people to attend the dinner and support Owen.

Saturday, June 27th there is going to be a relay taking place at New Wilmington Area High School. The high school is located at 350 Wood Street New Wilmington, PA 16142. Registration for the relay begins at 10 am. Jill (Tekac) Baker is in charge of the 50/50 raffle. Tickets are on sale NOW. Please contact Jill if you would like to purchase tickets. The raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. A paypal account has been set up to make it easier for everyone to buy tickets. Just transfer money to owenbauerbenefitraffle@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your name and phone number so that you'll be entered in the drawing. If you would prefer to send a check it should be made out to The Owen Daniel Bauer Benefit Fund.

Checks can be mailed to:

Jill Baker
675 Scott Ridge Road
Harmony, PA


Jamie (Osborne) Cullen and the New Wilmington MOPS group is heading the rummage sale on the day of the relay. They are opening the sale at 9am and it will run until 5pm or earlier if it starts dying down before that. They are trying to find places to keep everything because Jamie's garage isn't big enough, so if you have an idea, please email her. They are also looking for some guys and gals with trucks and muscle to help them move everything to the school the day before the event. They are taking just about anything that you are willing to donate. The only thing they ask is that if you are donating clothes for the rummage sale, please separate the clothes (children's, adults, boys, and girls). It just makes it easier for those that are setting up. If you have anything to donate or would like to help them out in any way, (and they will take all sorts of help!), please email Jamie at: shjamlivlil@verizon.net.


Sarah (Bruening) Worthington has volunteered to head up the bake sale. For any and all of you who wish to contribute or knows someone who wants to donate baked goods for the sale, anything and everything is welcome! Baked goods can be dropped off on Friday, June 26th at Commerical Printing Co. They are located at 2414 Wilmington Rd. in New Castle. Her mom, Barb works there so she'll be able to accept any baked goods people want to drop off. Please drop off any goodies from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Thanks in advance for everyone's generous gifts! Should anyone have questions or if you would like to volunteer on the day of the sale, please let Sarah know at: SWorthington@inventhelp.com. Also, if you would like to bake something but are unable to take it to Commercial Printing please email Angela and she may be able to come get the baked goods from you.Lee Worthington has volunteered to be in charge of the silent auction. The auction will begin on Friday at the spaghetti dinner and will continue through the events on Saturday. If you are able to donate something for the silent auction or you need more information please contact Lee at: leemworthington@hotmail.com.

Lauren is ordering T-shirts for the event as well. The cost of the t-shirts is $10 if you get your order in to Lauren by this Monday, June 1st. T-shirts not ordered by June 1st will be available for $15 dollars at the relay. Sizes available run from Youth Small through Adult XXXL. Five dollars from the sale of every T-shirt will go directly to Owen.



If you can help in anyway...please go and do it. WE ARE COMMUNITY! We are all ONE family..one body in Christ. When someone needs our help..we need to give it. Time, money, food, donations, walking..something... DO IT!
Come on... help someone..it will make YOU Feel as good as it will help this little guy. It's amazing..but it's true!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

We sell sticky buns for take out!


Did you know that you could call ahead and order sticky buns for take out? YOU CAN! You can order any amount and we will bake them fresh and wrap them up for you to take home with you. They are great for any occasion! You can also freeze our sticky buns, take them out of the freezer and microwave them for 15 seconds each and they taste like they did right out of the oven! Go ahead and try it! Give us a call and order some sticky buns..make someone's tummy and spirit happy!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Our New Awning is Ordered!

Oh it's going to look so beautiful! We ordered a new awning for the front entranceway of the Tavern. It is dark green and has white lettering on it!
Joe and I knew that we needed a sign that lets people know from all angles of the intersection in which our restaurant sits upon, that the Tavern on the Square is a restaurant! Local people know it..but people from out of town and people that are passing through probably have no idea what that beautiful building on the corner is!
When Gib McGill painted our sign for us, we wanted something beautiful and historical looking..something that represented that "landmark" status that the Tavern had. He did an outstanding job!! We love our sign..but it doesn't say restaurant on it.
Sooo, we walked around that building and tried to think of a way to still mantain the classiness of the Tavern, but to place a sign somewhere that stands out!
Neon open signs and the Tavern just don't seem to go together...

THEN..haha..and to me this is so the way that God works in my life.. an angelic friend of the Tavern came into the restaurant and asked to talk to me..

You have to read this story! Continuing...

She said, "Susan, please forgive me if I'm out of line, but I really feel the Lord drawing me to talk to you. I'm a crossing guard on the corner, down the street." "I stand here and look at your restaurant every day and I say to myself, there's no way anybody would know that this is a restaurant here." "You need to do something to make it more visible to cars passing by from all the angles."

I LOVED HER FOR THAT! You see..I respect other's opinions, I VALUE THEM! I've learned to accept critisizm, because it makes you stronger and better. GOd says that we can learn from other's wisdom, and I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH!!!! I thanked her so much and I told her how much I appreciated her! (If you are reading this..I can't remember your name, but I do remember you are the pastor of Clen-Moore church's wife!!) *hug* Thank you again for helping us be better!!
So we walked around the building, and she gave me the idea for the window boxes on the windows and although Joe and I thought of putting an awning up before, she also thought that would be the best option for us!
She got us going on that..we probably would have tucked it away and put it on our to do list..
YEAH!!! Our new awning should be here in a few weeks! I can't wait for you to see it! It's going to add such class to the place and because it will have restaurant written on it and our phone number, it will be a great way to be more visible!
Now.....coming soon...

VALET PARKING AT THE TAVERN!!! (It's true..on special occasions like celebrity series and perhaps on busy weekends, we're going to have valet parking!) WOOHOOO!!!
Have a great day today! Make it great! Do something kind for someone...
LOVE, Susan

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Some pictures of our main dining room!

We have five dining rooms at the Tavern. Each one is beautiful and different from all the others. These are pictures of our main dining room. The furniture was made for us by a local amishman named Gideon Kurtz. He is an amazing woodcrafter! I would recommend buying furniture from him anytime! The main dining room seats 60 people. It's one of two dining rooms on the first floor. There are murals on the walls of the main dining room that were painted by a local artist named Gib Mcgill. He and his wife Merrianne are WONDERFUL people too! Gib is an incredible artist! All of the murals are painted in the style of Rufus Porter. He was an artist that traveled around New England painting murals for aristocrats! Interesting, isn't it? You have to come and view the walls for yourself! There are many local landmarks painted upon the walls of the Tavern!







Monday, June 15, 2009


You matter
When you love the work you do and the people you do it with, you matter.
When you are so gracious and generous and aware that you think of other people before yourself, you matter.
When you leave the world a better place than you found it, you matter.
When you continue to raise the bar on what you do and how you do it, you matter.
When you teach and forgive and teach more before you rush to judge and demean, you matter.
When you touch the people in your life through your actions (and your words), you matter.
When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.
When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.
When you inspire a Nobel prize winner or a slum dweller, you matter.
When the room brightens when you walk in, you matter.
And when the legacy you leave behind lasts for hours, days or a lifetime, you matter.

On a personal note...


It's been a while since I posted a personal blog column. Our Tavern blog is what we've been using as a "website" when people google "The Tavern", so I've tried to keep it more business like, but I know that this blog also has a lot of regular followers who want to know what's going on on the inside of me and the Tavern. *big breath..that was a long sentence!* So this morning, I have some free time, so I will write some words from my heart!
Hello friends and family and followers! How have you been? Are you enjoying the beauty of the summer? Oh friends, I wake up each morning and take a big breath, and feel the sunshine on my face and I can't help but to smile and praise God! I wake up every morning praising our Lord and thanking Him that I get to live another day! "What can I do today, Lord?", I ask. "How can I make a difference?" "How can I touch someone today?" "How can I show them Your Love and goodness and kindness?"
Then I pray and I ask God to help me! I ask Him to lead and guide me and to help me be more like Jesus! Then I usually get sidetracked and start thinking about what I have to do today..and what my girls are going to do today..etc.. hheeheehhe It's the truth though! We are such Children! God must just shake His head at us sometimes, just like we do to our children when they make wrong decisions or get sidetracked etc... But like we still love our children, God loves us too..INSPITE of ourselves!! : )
So to continue.. My heart is still filled with such joy and passion and a love for life that I can't contain it. I've got a song in my heart and I can't help but to sing! I love being at the Tavern. I love seeing old friends and meeting new people every single day! I get a hug just about every day! That is what is the best about working with people! I love smiling and being smiled upon and shaking hands and just loving people. I love getting emails from friends of the Tavern. I love when I read the journals that are on the tables and people say something kind. I love making people feel happy! I love giving and serving!!!! The more you give, the more your heart gets filled up! Isn't that crazy? It just doesn't seem to make sense but yet it is the truth! God designed us that way!! When you serve, when you give, it makes YOU feel so good!
Okay..so that's enough about me! My girls are really happy too! Summer is here and I have been taking a few days off of work each week, and staying home and spending as much time with them as I can, and that makes their songs in their hearts sing too! They love when we are all at home together as a family. We don't have to go anywhere, or do anything in particular, they just love having their family together! Sundays is our 1/2 day at the restaurant, and it is once again our family day! We all went grocery shopping yesterday afternoon and then came home and had a cook out! We just relaxed and hung out together..it was divine!
So, now what's going on at the TAVERN...???
I'm glad you asked!! HaHA..this is the FUN part of life for me! I get joy from talking and serving and meeting people at the Tavern. I get to have fun, by building the business, by making it great! That is another part of what I love to do.
We have only tapped into a small part of what the Tavern will become. We are still building on the foundation, working on getting it down good, and taking our time fixing it right, before we can move on! So much needed and still needs to be done.
We are working on getting the building powerwashed!
We are ordering and awning for the front entrance that will have signage on it, so we can be noticed as a restaurant from all angles of the intersection! (It will also look beautiful!!)
We are working on getting a color brochure made up for the Tavern and possible other points of interests in New Wilmington
We are working at improving our menu and adding some new specials!
We are working on letting people know we sell our sticky buns to go!
We are working on getting a new website going and then getting an email list going and getting on facebook and twitter so we can let everyone know our daily specials and events!
Oh..we are getting a list of events we want to have happen at the Tavern!!!
We are working on getting the word out that we specialize in private parties and showers and banquets! They have gone soooo well, that we know the Tavern is a great place to hold a special event.
We are ordering more placemats to grace the tables and to sell in our gift shop.
We just got stickers made up for our take out bags and gift shop bags with our logo on them!
We just put window boxes on our five outer windows on the side of the Tavern!
We are working on getting the BAKERY open!!!!!!!!!!! That's a big one..People ask us every day and they are probably doubting us, but I promise you..the Bakery is coming!!!! We want to make sure we are ready for it..we want it to be great before we open up..we want to do it right..so when we open it..it will be really good!!!
Well..that's just a little bit about what we're working on! Joe and I are building our business one step at a time. We want it to be so good..for YOU. Not for us, not for money, not for anything, but for YOU, the community. If you haven't realized it by now, that is what my heart beats for...for people! I like giving them something good, a place to make a memory. I want the Tavern to be a destination spot. A place to come and relax and enjoy your meal..not just to eat and run..but to..I don't know..just something different. .. A place to feel loved...
So ..if I haven't seen you lately, this is where we are at! We are loving it here! We are filled with love and joy! We hope to fill your bellies with good food and your hearts with gladness! May the Love of the Lord bring you a heart filled with joy too! In my Father's name, Susan

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Our Gift Shoppe!

When you walk through the doors of the Tavern you will come through two lobbies. The first lobby is our entrance way..
..And the second lobby is home to the Tavern Gift Shoppe. Wendy Morris formerly of Tole n' Trinkets gift shop in Volant, is the manager of our little gift shop. She does the buying and the designing for us! She is very talented! Not only does she do a great job with the gift shop, she also greets customers and answers the phone and takes reservations for us on the weekends! Wendy has a heart of gold and she is much loved by our Tavern Family and our customers! If you come to the Tavern and are greeted and seated by Wendy, make sure you say hello and tell her you saw her on our Tavern Blog!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Kindness


Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia

Kindness is always fashionable.
- America E. Barr, British American writer

No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.
- Aesop, Greek fabulist

A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.
- Joseph Joubert, French philosopher

Never lose a chance of saying a kind word.
- William Makepeace Thackeray, British Writer

A kind speech and forgiveness is better than alms followed by injury.
- Islamic Proverb

Kind words conquer.
- Tamil Proverb

Kindness is tenderness. Kindness is love, but perhaps greater than love...Kindness is good will. Kindness says, "I want you to be happy.
- Randolph Ray

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?
- Jean Jacques Rousseau

Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them. When we do good things from this inner desire, there is kindness in everything we think, say, want and do.
- Emmanuel Swedenborg

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.
- Seneca

Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.
- Theodore Isaac Rubin

It is never too late to be what we might have been
- George Eliot

Before we can forgive one another, we must understand one another
- Emma Goldman

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
- George Washington Carver

Kindness is a language which the dumb can speak, the deaf can understand.
- C.N. Bovee

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Newspaper articles!


When Joe and I first opened the Tavern restaurant, we decided not to do any advertising for a year. We wanted to make sure we got it right, before we reached out and advertised. As it turns out, so far we haven't needed to advertise, because WORD OF MOUTH has been our BEST advertising so far, and it's been really wonderful! So thanks to all of you that have spread the word! We are so excited to be able to bring this beautiful place to life once again and to have you visit here with us! We are beginning to become a family here, and we are all about family! When you come to see us, you will be welcomed with open arms (often times I mean that literally..I LOVE to hug!!) and you will be treated with kindness and respect!
Well, on with the story I wanted to tell you... (I often get side tracked) this month we have two articles that will be published about the Tavern. On Sunday, June 21st if all goes as planned, The Youngstown Vindicator will feature us in their newspaper! They came and listened to our story and took pictures and we are really excited about that! Elise was a great listener (Which makes a great reporter!) and I heard she is a fantastic writer! Bob took some great pics of Joe and I and really what everyone wants to see ..THE STICKY BUNS!!!! hehe..
One of our much loved customers works for the Vindicator, and she asked them to do a story about us! Thank you Mrs. Schaffer!!!!!!!
Sherris Moreira-Byers is not only the wonderful editor of Views and voices magazine, but she is a fantastic woman and mother as well! She is a fellow Wilmington Area High School Alumni, and she contacted us and asked to do a story for the magazine. She spent a lot of time talking to us, and taking pictures. We got to share some recipes with her and she took pictures of some of our foods! So look for us in July's edition of Views and Voices which comes out the end of June!!!!
WOOOHOOOO!!!!! Thank you Sherris, and Tiffany and Tammy! You are all three wonderful!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Congratulations Class of 2009~


The Tavern on the Square would like to congratulate the class of 2009! We are so proud of you! This is a new chapter in your life. Close one door and walk through another with your heads held high. Think of the rest of your life as a new adventure! Where are you going to go? What are you going to do? Who are you going to spend it with? It's all up to you! You have choices to make. I pray that you make the right ones. Let God lead you! Trust in Him. Have Faith. Don't ever give up. If you have a dream, and you know it's where God wants to lead you, then give it all you've got and DO IT! There is nothing that can stop you, if you don't want it too. I am a witness to all that God can do with your life if you let Him.
Oh graduates..young people..you have so much life ahead of you. Don't just exist..do something great!
Congratulations especially to Katie Harlan, daughter of our hostess Brenda Harlan.
Kenneth Wesley Jones, our incredible bus person
Emily Hoffman, our wonderful bus person
Josh Hines, son of our fabulous cook, Pam Hines


We are so proud of you all! Susan and Joe and the Tavern family!