Magoo’s and Northland Library Work Together to Help Children Learn

By Vanessa Orr

When Jay Fairbrother purchased Magoo’s on Perry Highway approximately two years ago, he wanted to offer North Hills’ residents a casual, upscale eatery featuring ‘comfort food with a twist.’ A former restaurateur in upstate New York, Fairbrother soon created a place where people from all over the community could gather to socialize while enjoying a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

“Because we are independently owned and operated, it lets our staff have a more personal relationship with our customers,” Fairbrother explained. “Since we are not a franchise, we are better able to react to customers’ wishes and to create unique menu options for them to enjoy.”

Menu items include regional favorites reimagined for every taste. Entrees range from salmon and haluski, to Italian meatloaf, to gourmet macaroni and cheese featuring shrimp, chicken, or tomato and pancetta. Even a burger gets special treatment, topped with shrimp, crab and asiago cheese to create a surf-and-turf specialty.

“In many cases, we tried to pick regional items and combine them in a way that no one might have thought of before to create a rich, delicious dish,” said Fairbrother, citing salmon and haluski as an example. “While some of these foods, like our gourmet chicken potpie, may not be exactly what you were fed at home as a kid, they’re familiar dishes with an upscale approach.”

According to Fairbrother, who also owns Blue Restaurant in the Duncan Manor Plaza, providing North Hills’ residents with this eclectic mix of food has proven to be a success. “The great thing about Magoo’s is that we have a very diverse clientele, many of whom are regulars, who like the fact that they are not limited to a certain style of food—they can have sandwiches and appetizers or salmon and steak all at the same table.”

With approximately 90 percent of Magoo’s clients being nearby residents, it’s not surprising that Fairbrother and his restaurants have become such a large part of the community. A strong supporter of local charities, Fairbrother often donates gift certificates, food and money to groups ranging from North Hills Community Outreach to St. Alexis Church. Most recently, Fairbrother decided to become involved in a fundraiser with Northland Library, located just up the hill from the restaurant.

“Because they are our neighbors, we’ve done many things with them including hosting many of their library foundation meetings in our facilities,” Fairbrother said. “We recently decided to take our relationship to another level and to see how we could help each other.”

The result of this collaboration is Food for Thought, a program that will kick off on December 1. “The Library wanted to purchase a subscriber tutoring program, called Tutor.com, which allows children with a library card to go through our site to receive online help with their homework from a live tutor,” explained Sara Jane Lowry, executive director of the Northland Public Library Foundation. “Jay, who has two teenage children in North Hills schools, came up with the idea of working together to raise the $16,000 we need for the program, which will turn out to be a win-win situation for both organizations.”

During the Food for Thought campaign, anyone who makes a $2 donation to the Library will receive a $5 coupon good for his or her next meal at Magoo’s. “People can also choose to add $2 to their check at Magoo’s, and receive the $5 coupon for their next visit as well,” said Lowry.

The Tutor.com program is expected to help many of the 14,000 school-age children the library currently serves. “Live Homework Help is available to children in fourth grade through the first or second year of college with math, science, English and social studies,” said Lowry. “It even includes a whiteboard and chalk so that students needing help in geometry, for example, can see visuals to help them solve problems. The program also directs children to different Web sites where they can find answers to their questions.”

Food for Thought is just one program that the Library offers to its 51,000 cardholders throughout the five municipalities of Ross, McCandless, Franklin Park, Marshall and Bradford Woods as well as to other patrons throughout Allegheny County. Approximately 1,200 people visit the Library each day, and the facility set a record for circulating more than 1 million objects last year. “I hear people say that libraries are obsolete due to the Internet, and I’m happy to say that they are not,” said Lowry. “This is an incredibly active, community-centered place.”

In addition to receiving visitors in the facility itself, the library also sponsors a Books-by-Mail program for those who can’t come to the library, provides books, databases and reference materials online, and hosts 13 mini-libraries in assisted living centers and nursing homes. By next fall, the Library hopes to have the Tutor.com program up and running.

“For many families, having access to a live tutor is difficult because they can’t afford it, or they have multiple children who need help,” said Lowry. “Through this program, which we will be offering free to all cardholders, we will be able to provide help for any child who needs it.”

For more information on Magoo’s, visit www.magoosdining.com or call 412-635-2300. Magoo’s is located at 9101 Perry Highway. For more information about Northland Library, visit www.northlandlibary.org or www.northlandfoundation.org or call 412- 366-8100.