Family-run Elton restaurant marks 80 years; funds local scholarships with mug program

Jack Walters, a third‑generation family member involved with The Elton restaurant, said May 10 marked the business’s 80th anniversary and described longtime community traditions that have supported the restaurant and local causes.

Walters told meeting attendees that The Elton has served customers from Struthers and neighboring towns such as Poland and Louisville and is known for its brick-oven pizzas and homemade items. “When my grandfather came up with the recipe, and the customers loved us so much, 1 guy left here, and the windows used to steam up in the wintertime, and that he wrote on the window real pizza. So that's where the the slogan comes real pizza,” Walters said.

He outlined a mug program started decades ago in which patrons pay to use numbered mugs kept on a shelf; funds collected are donated rather than retained as profit. Walters said the shelf idea originated “about 37 years ago” and that the mug fees now underwrite two $500 scholarships awarded each year to local high‑school students — a practice he said began “a little over 20 years ago.”

Walters described day‑to‑day operations and menu items, saying most ingredients are made on site: “We probably do a 150 to 200 pounds of cheese a day. We mix about a 150 pounds of dough a day.” He said pizzas are cooked in a brick oven and that maintaining that process is important to product quality.

He related anecdotes about the restaurant’s local place in the community, including a visit from customers who flew in from Connecticut for pizza and beer, and joking comparisons between a photo of the restaurant and the television show Cheers. He listed popular menu items such as chili dogs, hot dogs and wedding soup and credited employees for maintaining a consistent product and a family atmosphere.

The comments were presented as a personal account of the restaurant’s history and local role. No formal action, vote or city policy was announced during the remarks.