Mark Papa: Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe

Owner credits his faith — and his father’s direction — for building one big happy ‘family’ at his popular restaurants.

Mark Papa doesn’t hire staff to help run the Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe. He simply expands his “family.” At last count, more than 250 people work at the restaurant’s nine locations in Beaver, Butler and Allegheny counties — including three store managers who have been with him for more than 30 years. Mark not only knows the names of each employee, but he strives to connect with them on a more personal level. “I don’t take being ‘the boss’ lightly,” he said. “I try to let our people know I care for them. I truly believe we’re the Hot Dog Shoppe family.”

Just then a waitress named Ashley walked past to warm up a customer’s coffee. “She’s taking a biology class and she’s learning the material by teaching it to me. I think I know every part of the body by now. I might even be able to pass the class,” Mark said, chuckling.

As with any family, some days are better than others, Mark acknowledged. And sometimes, a family member can teach him a powerful lesson that transcends the classroom. “We were having a rough patch and I was coming home late at night in a pretty bad mood. I was talking to my oldest child, Ethan, and I asked him if he would like to take over someday.” Ethan paused for a moment before answering.

“Why would I want to do what you do when you come home grumpy every day?” Ouch. “He reminded me right then how truly blessed I am to do what I do. Certainly, we have stressful days at times, but c’mon, we’re serving hot dogs. I like to think I’m making friends every day.”

In The Beginning

If Frank and Vic Trevellini hadn’t run out of gas, Mark’s business might be called the Ellwood Hot Dog Shoppe. “The story goes that the brothers wanted to open a hot dog shop in their hometown, Ellwood City, but their car ran out of gas in New Brighton. That’s why they settled there.” The year was 1959. In 1971, Frank Papa graduated from Geneva College with a degree in accounting. The Trevellini brothers believed his business acumen could help them grow, so they asked him to join them. Frank said no. Twice. “He wanted to open his own accounting firm, but the brothers were persistent,” Mark pointed out.

Frank finally relented, eventually assumed control, then built what many view as one of Beaver County’s “destination” restaurants.  And Mark uses that title to motivate his workers. “When people return home for the holidays or from school, we want them to experience an even BETTER Hot Dog Shoppe than what they remembered from the past.”

Mark joined his father’s business at age 12, helping to load delivery trucks. By the time he had graduated from Quigley Catholic High School in the early 1990s, he felt an inkling to take over someday. But his father wanted him to be sure. So he laid out three requirements for his son:

1) Get a college degree to acquire business skills.

2) Serve in the military to develop discipline.

3) Work at McDonald’s for two years to learn strategy and systems.

Mark attended Clarion University for a couple years right out of school, but his future remained hazy. One morning his mother, Linda, was driving past the Marine Corps recruiting office and noticed Mark’s truck parked in front. He was ready for Phase 2. Mark enlisted in the Marine Corps and served for six years in the reserves as an infantryman. Afterward, he got an apartment, a degree in management from Robert Morris University, and a full-time gig as a manager at McDonald’s. “Dad certainly had a path and a plan for me,” Mark recalled, “but the only thing he gave me was an opportunity. I had to prove I could run a successful business.”

Mark initially opened a hot dog stand in Hermitage before working at the New Brighton and Chippewa shops. He would constantly ask his dad how he would know when it would be time to take over the company. “You’ll know,” Frank would tell him, “when you fall in love with being in the store.” When Frank finally tapped his son to assume control, Mark initially balked. “I really wanted to stay in the stores," he admitted. “To this day, I still love being in the shops, being around the crew and talking with customers. If I have a weakness, it’s that I don’t spend enough time in the office. I love to be around the people.”

A Growing Family

Mark was referring to people like Brian McNeely of West Mayfield. McNeely, who turned 50 last month, was at the Chippewa restaurant munching on a couple of dogs with everything and a side of fries. “I’ve been coming here two or three times a week since I was a little kid,” he said. “I love the hot dogs, but they also have the best breakfast around.”

Mark now connects with guests in nine different communities:

The original New Brighton shop, which opened in 1959

  • Beaver Falls, 1968

  • Rochester, 1977

  • Vanport, 1980

  • Chippewa, 1988

  • Marshall Township, 1992

  • Moon, 1995

  • Ellwood City, 2007

  • Butler, 2008

And his family is growing at nearly the same pace. Mark and his wife of nearly 17 years, Amy, have five children:

  • Ethan, 14

  • Dylan, 12

  • Julian, 8

  • Braydan, 3

  • Elsie, 1

Amy taught in the Riverside School District for a decade before choosing to stay home with the kids. She met her husband while working at the Chippewa Hot Dog Shoppe in the late 1990s during her high school days. “Amy helps with special events but her primary role is to provide a stable home,” Mark pointed out. “I’m never worried about what’s going on at home. She understands my responsibilities, that I’m on-demand at any time, and she keeps the household under control.”

Faith At Work

And their faith keeps it all in perspective. “I owe so much to Pathway Church,” Mark said as the sounds of K-Love emanated throughout the restaurant. “We have the radio station on every day. It’s a great opportunity to have God present and share his word without shoving it down people’s throats.” He smiled. “We really strive to put God first. We’re not embarrassed about our faith in the least bit.”

And while Mark is open to sharing his faith at work, he’s now committed to sharing his food in the café before the Thursday night service at Pathway, where he’s attended for seven years. “God has always been a part of my life,” said Mark, who was raised Roman Catholic. “At Pathway, God became a major part of my life.”

Mark works seven days a week, including Sunday mornings — the biggest breakfast day. He called the Thursday night service “a blessing” for his busy schedule. He usually starts his day at 6am in his Beaver office, and finishes “when it’s time to finish.” Yet he swears he wouldn’t want to do anything else — other than maybe teach college students someday. “That’s my far-off dream,” he admitted. “I’d love to be a college professor and teach business.”

For now, he’s content to teach his Hot Dog Shoppe family the ins and outs of the restaurant world — especially how to make each guest feel welcome and loved. “You know, I’m not sure what I did to deserve this opportunity,” he said softly. He glanced around the busy restaurant and shook his head. “I look at my life and I truly hope I’m serving God well. I never take a day for granted.”

 

MagazineTim Kolodziej