The courtship only took 15 years.
Fifteen very long years. The relationship, of course, always has been strong and consistent, but Michelle Izso Frangopoulos refused to take it to the next level. Until this month, that is.
Frangopoulos is one of the original employees hired by Quaker Steak & Lube at The Highlands when the eatery opened in 2009, and so was her best friend, Christine McKnickle Thomas. Even though the two did not know each other very well at the time, the service manager and the marketing manager have teamed up to promote and present a number of special events that have placed The Lube on the “local” map.
Hope for Hines. Dine to Donate. Feeding first responders on holidays. Name it and it’s likely it’s been done at The Lube.
“I believe Christine and I run a very good business, and we have a lot of regular events here that help our community because that’s very important to everyone that works here,” Frangopoulos explained. “I believe that’s what makes us special because we’re a corporate-run establishment, but at the same time, we’re a local place that reaches out to our community without being asked to do so.
“Most of that work is all Christine, and then we all follow her lead so we can have the biggest impact possible,” she said. “I know the general manager’s position comes with a lot of hours and I know it involves everything under this roof instead of just one area like I had before, but I know my staff will be there to make this place even better than it’s been in the past.”
Family, Frangopoulos has insisted, always has come first.
“But now, taking this position, believe it or not, will give me some freedom, too, so I can attend my son’s (Aiden) soccer games in Pittsburgh or wherever they may be, and that’s going to be great because he’s a freshman at Wheeling Park now,” she explained. “So, he has games locally, but a lot of the bigger games are out of town.
“Aiden may only be a freshman in high school, but he plays varsity for Park, and he’s been playing soccer since he was four years old,” she explained. “It means something to him, and he loves it, so he has my full support and I’m going to be there every chance I can.”
People, and More People
The Highlands in Ohio County is home to more than 30 retail operations, 25 restaurants, seven hotels, nearly 30 service-oriented offices, two car dealerships, four light industrial outfits, AND The Highlands Sports Complex, so a plethora of people visit each and every week.
Plus, the Federal Highways Administration says as many as 53,000 motorists travel along Interstate 70 in West Virginia on a daily basis.
So, there are a thousands upon thousands of reasons why The Lube is open every single day of every year.
“I accepted the position knowing all of that, but that’s because I’ve been here for 15 years and I think the way we go about it is honestly the best way for this eatery,” Frangopoulos insisted. “So, I decided to step up, take the position, and operate this Quaker Steak & Lube like the community restaurant it’s pretty much been since we opened. Of course, we get a lot of people from Interstate 70 because our food is terrific, but we also have our regulars and we’re known in the area as a restaurant you can count on when the community needs us.
“During those 15 years, we’ve seen general managers come and go, and I think we counted 11 GMs that we’ve had here, but this time I said yes because we know how to make this place successful,” she continued. “I’ve been asked to take the position before, but it wasn’t the right time to do it. Now it is, and we’re going to have a great summer.”
The restaurant opens daily at 11 a.m. and is open at least 11 hours each day, and in two weeks the Quaker Steak & Lube corporation will celebrate 50 years in food service. The same week, The Lube at The Highlands will stage Biker Appreciation Day with free kickstand pads on Wednesday, May 1, “Thirsty Thursday” the next day with free glasses, a Patio Party on Friday with live entertainment, a special steak night on Saturday, and classic car Cruiser Appreciation Day on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun because we know we’ll see all of our friends from the community come to The Highlands,” Frangopoulos said. “We have had a few owners since I started here, but we’ve had the same great customers since the beginning. Plus, when we have bigger events like these will be, a lot of the people who have worked here come back to see us and that’s always a blast.
“We’ve had a lot of college students here working, and after they’ve graduated, they’ve gone off to do what they went to school for, but they always come back to see us,” the new general manager said. “We have our bad days at work and this place is no different, but overall, we have a good time here and we make it fun for each other. And we’re a close-knit bunch here, and I hope that never changes.”
