By SAVANNAH BARR

s.barr@bradforera.com

For decades the Runway Bar and Grill, located inside Bradford Regional Airport at 212 Airport Road, has been the place to grab a delicious bite to eat in Lewis Run. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday ‘In between we book baby showers, birthday parties and retirement dinners,’ said owner Kerrie Teats. ‘We run the gamut of parties and events.’

The restaurant has Runway… page A-8

Owner Kerrie Teats, left, with longtime employee Karen Moses at the Runway Bar and Grill.

Photo provided comfortable seating for 64 patrons, with another five seats located at the bar.

While many customers stop in while waiting to travel, Teats notes that they mainly serve locals who love to watch the planes coming in.

“About 90 percent of our clientele are people who live in the local area including Olean (N.Y.), Bradford, Smethport, St. Marys, Kane and Mount Jewett,” said Teats. “We do also get private catering orders for jets coming in as well as people waiting for their flight.”

That love from the local community was incredibly important during the covid 19 pandemic, Teats said. The restaurant was forced to close to help flatten the curve so the staff switched to takeout service.

“I put out a message on Facebook to see if anyone would like to place a takeout order and we had 120 on the first Friday night,” said Teats.

People were ordering everything from prime rib to crab legs — things that customers usually don’t order as a takeout plate.

“We are very grateful for that community support,” said Teats. “We know that we were very fortunate because many restaurants didn’t make it.”

Some of their most popular menu items are crab cakes and crab legs. Their many popular steak options include filet mignon, prime rib and New York strip. They have a full menu with dinner options such as fettuccine alfredo and charred grilled shrimp.

“We are also all about the fish fries on Friday,” said Teats.

Customers can keep updated on specials at the Runway Bar and Grill Facebook page.

Teats has loved the restaurant for many years. She was first hired in the early 2000s and then came back in 2013, when the restaurant was still under its previous ownership. She has been working in food service for more than 25 years. She took over in July 2019 and has never looked back.

“For me one of the best things is being my own boss,” said Teats. “I really enjoy working with the public and making people happy.”

She tries to mingle with customers whenever she can.

“Most of our stuff is homemade; there is not very much we sell here that is not made in-house,” said Teats. “I just love coming up with new specials and putting ingredients together in a way that tastes amazing.”

The restaurant has options to dine in or take out. To place an order or make a reservation, call (814) 362-4836.