Kings Family Restaurants facts for kids
| Industry | Restaurant (food service), Food processing, Food retailing |
|---|---|
| Founded | North Versailles, Pennsylvania (1967) |
|
Number of locations
|
3 |
|
Key people
|
Hartley C. King, Founder and President |
| Products | Kings Family Restaurants, Hartley's Choice pies and ice cream |
|
Number of employees
|
500 |
Kings Family Restaurants is a chain of family-friendly places to eat, started in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. As of August 2025, there are 3 Kings restaurants still open in Pennsylvania. The Kings logo uses bright red letters with a yellow outline.
Contents
The Story of Kings Restaurants
How Kings Began
Kings Family Restaurants started in 1967. A person named Hartley King bought a restaurant called "Pig-N-Go" in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. He changed its name to "Kings Country Shoppes." Later, he changed the name again to Kings Family Restaurants. This new name made it clear that it was a place for families to enjoy meals together.
Growing Bigger
The restaurant chain grew quite a bit over the years. By 1980, there were 7 Kings restaurants. By 1990, that number had jumped to 24. In 2006, Kings had 34 locations across Pennsylvania and one in Wintersville, Ohio.
Kings also cared about helping others. They gave money to many good causes. These included the Veterans Leadership Program and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania.
New Ideas and Changes
In July 2009, Kings Restaurants tried something new. They opened restaurants called Kings Hometown Grille. These places had a different look and a new menu compared to other Kings locations. However, all of these special Hometown Grille locations have since closed down.
In 2015, the company was bought by Kelly Capital. This happened after the founder, Hartley King, decided to retire. On March 26, 2017, five of the older Kings restaurants closed their doors. These were in Wexford, Bridgeville, Imperial, Harmarville, and Altoona. These closures affected about 130 employees.
Sadly, Hartley King, the founder of Kings Family Restaurants, passed away on January 31, 2025, at 91 years old. In April 2025, the Kings restaurant in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania also closed suddenly. This left the chain with just three locations.
What's on the Menu?
Kings restaurants serve classic American food. You can find things like sandwiches, fresh salads, and juicy burgers. They also offer sweet treats like ice cream and milkshakes.
Kings was also very well-known for their "Frownie Brownies." When Kelly Capital bought the company, the Frownie Brownie was taken off the menu. Many customers were upset about this! But good news, the Frownie Brownie returned to the menu in March 2019.
Restaurant Rules
For many years, Kings restaurants had special areas where people could smoke. However, a new rule was made in Pennsylvania in September 2008. This rule stopped smoking in most public places, including restaurants. After this, Kings no longer had smoking sections.
