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Steelers' fan making it big in Arizona
Jan 24, 2009 (The Valley Independent - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
CHANDLER, Ariz. -- These are definitely interesting days for Randy Walters' flourishing restaurant.
Walters, a native of Monongahela, owns "Pittsburgh Willy's," that has fine food served in an atmosphere that would make any Pittsburgh sports fan proud.
"Pittsburgh Willy's" is located in a large antique mall in Chandler, which is approximately 20 miles southeast of Phoenix.
His business had been doing well and still is. However, even he admits that the business' name never drew as much attention as it has since the Arizona Cardinals have been paired with the Steelers in the Super Bowl.
"I have 'Pittsburgh Willy's' on the side of my van and lately when I go down the road a lot of people honk their horn at me," said Walters, a 1971 graduate of Mon Valley Catholic. "Most of them do things like give me the finger. But, really, it's all good-natured stuff."
Walters said his restaurant was spawned from a gourmet hotdog stand he had for two years in Chandler, also called Pittsburgh Willy's.
"Before World War II, my dad had two hotdog stands in Monongahela," he said. "When I was a little guy, it was always my dream to one day have my own hotdog stand."
After operating his stand and selling thousands and thousands of various gourmet-style hotdogs, Walters upgraded to his restaurant.
"We opened for business Nov. 22, 2008," he said of the restaurant. "I still use the cart for special events, but I'm pretty much into the restaurant business now."
The deli counter in his restaurant is decorated heavily in sports memorabilia from the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and other Pittsburgh area paraphernalia.
"It's funny because I never really took any heat about the name of the business until the Cardinals got into the Super Bowl and will play the Steelers," he said with a laugh. "Now I'm trying to have a little fun with it."
Walters has instituted a hotdog contest in which customers can order a Cardinals Hotdog or a Steelers Hotdog and he is going to see which hotdog sells the best.
Naturally, in the first week of the contest, the Cardinals Hotdog is way ahead.
However, Walters is predicting the gap will close soon.
"You would not believe how many transplanted Pittsburghers live here and I have a very, very loyal Pittsburgh customer base," he said.
"I sent out emails to all my Pittsburgh customers and told them about the hotdog contest and I've been getting tons of emails back from them saying they were coming to get a Steelers Hotdog."
Walters said he went to Arizona in 1974 to follow after his high school sweetheart, Cyndee Bourbouse, whose family moved to Arizona from Charleroi.
He later married Cyndee and the couple had two daughters and is still married today.
"It's a happy ending e so far," he said.
As the big game gets closer, Walters knows that the ribbing for "Pittsburgh Willy's" will grow.
However, he is not deterred.
"I'm a Steelers fan and will be a Steelers fan e even in the heart of Cardinals Country," he said.
He recalled a conversation with he had with a friend recently that shows how popular the Pittsburgh name is around the country.
"We were saying that Pittsburgh is the only city name you could have on a business and make it work anywhere in the country," he said. "Could you imagine a restaurant named Arizona in Pittsburgh? Who would really care? It would never work."
Jeff Oliver can be reached at joliver@tribweb.com or 724-684-2666.
To see more of The Valley Independent or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/. Copyright (c) 2009, The
Valley Independent, Monessen, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information
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