Dine, Shop, Support Bethel Park
Business Blog
We hope you enjoy the following profiles on those in our local business community! If you’re a Bethel Park business and would like to be considered for a future profile, please email kindness@bethelpark.net.
Join Us for the April Bethel Park Job Fair!
Check out the 2026 Bethel Park Fish Fry & Seafood Specials Roundup featuring local restaurants, churches and organizations offering Lenten fish fries and seafood specials.
For this month’s Bethel Park Business Blog, we compiled a list of restaurants and organizations offering fish fries and seafood offerings in the area! We’ve noted some menu items below; however, for full menu information, dining options, ordering information and more, please visit the website listed or call the phone number. If you know of another restaurant or organization that should be included on the list, please email kindness@bethelpark.net . Thanks, and happy dining! Al’s Café 435 McMurray Rd., Bethel Park 412-833-4099 * www.alscafepgh.com They’re running specials throughout Lent each day after 4 p.m. including shrimp tacos, lobster mac and cheese, and a jumbo fish sandwich. Take Out/Dine In
Beginning Monday, Dec. 18, Thompson Electric will begin work for directional boring, running conduit and underground electric starting on Dalmatian Drive from Beagle Drive to Kings School Road, and Kings School Road to Grouse Run Road with about the first 100 ft. on Grouse Run Road and Boxer Drive to tie into existing junction boxes. Work will be behind the curb line and should not affect the pavement. Flaggers will be onsite to assist with traffic as one lane will be restricted for equipment and crew safety. Works is anticipated to last through February 2024. Thanks for your kind attention and please share this post to help spread the word!
PS Wood Machines Owner Barbara Peters never dreamt that her interest in a wood crafting machine would lead to a thriving business and result in her breaking ground in the primarily male woodworking industry. “I bought a scroll saw (a crafting machine) and took classes so that I could get a better understanding of it,” said Peters. “I got to know one of the salesmen who led some of the classes and one day at class he told me that the manufacturer of the saw I was using was going to discontinue making them. So, he wanted to know if I’d be interested in going into business with him to take over production of scroll saws.” Peters agreed and took over the management end of the business while her partner traveled to trade shows demonstrating and selling their product. After five years, her partner moved on and she had to undertake the job of going on the road to demo and sell the saws. “I had to pull up my bootstraps and keep moving forward because I was left with a lot of debt and needed to make sure that our business thrived for the sake of my family,” said Peters, who then traveled the country doing trade shows demonstrating and selling her products for over 20 years. “I was extremely nervous at first, I didn’t want to let my family down. My kids were aged 16 and 14 at the time and my husband held down the fort at home while I was on the road. All of this scared me to no end because I didn’t want to lose the money I invested, so I pushed myself to listen, learn and put one foot in front of the other and tried to not look back.” Peters would travel Thursdays – Sundays from fall to spring. “It didn’t matter what the weather was, I had to be set up for the trade shows and be ready to go. I would drive to shows anywhere east of the Mississippi and fly to those west of the Mississippi. Whether driving or flying, the weather was a worry for me each week. And I hired people around the country to help me set up, so making arrangements with them was also part of the equation. I’d talk to about 1,000 people at the show and Sunday night I’d pack up, travel home, and get ready to go on the road again Thursday.” She continued this schedule for years until shortly after turning 60. Now 73, Peters said those years enabled her to step away and reap the benefits. “I probably worked 36 – 40 shows a year and sometimes we had two per weekend requiring more personnel,” said Peters. “I do miss my customers…but it was long days, hard work and I was tired at night, But I did make a lot of friends around the country and still keep in touch with them.” In the early days, women would walk up to her booth and be surprised that she was the one demonstrating woodworking. “I was one of the few women in the industry when it started; now that’s changed and I’d like to think that I had a hand in that showing women that they can do woodworking too,” she said.
Whispering Souls Paranormal Investigations (WSPI) is a team of experienced paranormal investigators who create a calm, comfortable and enjoyable environment for their customers while giving them a memorable one-on-one experience. Upcoming events include an investigation at the Bethel Park Schoolhouse Arts & History Center and a free “Ghost Hunting 101: Haunted Teachings” class at the Bethel Park Public Library. WSPI offers investigations and educational sessions at a number of locations throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. Pennsylvania spots include Castle Blood in Monessen; the Bethel Park Schoolhouse Arts & History Center; Hill View Manor in New Castle; Old Economy Village in Ambridge; the Samuel Miller Mansion in Columbia; the Grand Midway Hotel in Windber; the Bethel Park Public Library; and the Jefferson Hills Library. WSPI Owner Patty Henderson said that many individuals come to the events to learn more about the history of these historical sites that they investigate. “We like to create an intimate setting at our events,” she said. “Our customers investigate an entire location that we divide into sections. We have two of our staff investigators in each section with our equipment staged for the guests to use. When a group enters a specific area, they fully investigate it with or without the help of our staff, discuss their findings with us and then they move through to a different area of the location only by their choice.” Local guests as well as those as far away as Texas and Canada have joined in on their investigations!