Johnstown native Gary Shingler’s Hubcap Mary’s Barbecue is back up and running in Warriors Mark.
Shingler, now a resident of the township, said the restaurant reopened in May of this year. The Penn State graduate has a chef’s background that included serving for President Dwight Eisenhower, President Lyndon Johnson, Margaret Mead and other dignitaries.
Hubcap Mary’s originally opened a few years ago, but closed for a couple of years and reopened on a couple of occasions, before the latest reopening this year.
Everyone entering the restaurant is greeted with, “Welcome to heaven.” After working for many years in the food service industry including with Marriott, owning the restaurant is “heaven” for Shingler.
Of course, the $64,000 question is, how did he come up with the name, “Hubcap Mary’s.” The easy part of the answer is Mary is his wife’s name. The other part of the answer involves his days as the food service director at Louisville University in Kentucky in the 1970s. The school mascot is a cardinal and Shingler decided to put an unusual hamburger on the menu at the student grill.
“What was unusual about it was it was an eight ouncer,” explained Shingler. “Back then, you were lucky if you could get a four-ounce patty. I put an eight ouncer on and I called it a “Cardinal Burger.”
Shingler said within a month or two after placing it on the menu, he was filling in for one of his managers at the grill when two college students walked in and said they came in for “a couple of those hubcaps.”
After Shingler questioned what they meant, they told him they wanted to order the Cardinal Burger. He asked the students why they called them hubcaps. One of them explained because he thought the burgers were as big as the hubcaps on his car.
“Just on a hunch, (I thought) they’ve got their own name for it, why call it a Cardinal Burger,” explained Shingler. “So, I started calling them hubcaps and sales went up 32 percent the next month.
“Well, ever since then anytime I’ve had control of the menu, I’ve always had a hubcap burger.”
Shingler ended up in Warriors Mark after exploring the possibility of opening a restaurant in the Altoona area. He also explored other areas including Philipsburg, State College and Johnstown.
Shingler decided on a barbecue place based on research that showed the drawing area for most restaurants is five miles with one exception. He explained that “a good barbecue joint” would draw people from 20 miles.
The current menu includes ribs, chicken, sandwiches and more. Shingler also offers weekend specials. Call the restaurant for details on the specials.
Hubcap Mary’s Barbecue is open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to closing.
The restaurant is located on Route 550 next to M & T Bank in the village of Warriors Mark. Shingler also offers catering service and can be reached at 814-632-5511.
