Volume 32 No. 2
February 2016
The Priory Hotel offers one-of-a-kind experience
Troy Hill’s Saint Anthony Chapel is America’s Vatican By Justin Criado It’s winter in Troy Hill. The narrow lanes of Lowrie Street feel more crowded than usual with the piles of snow to each side, and while it’s not a particularly busy day, the gentle snowfall seems to make the neighborhood move in slow motion as it lays itself down on every visible surface.
Photo by Neil Strebig
Priory Hotel supervisor Adam Frye (left) and owner John Graf both received accolades from the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. The Priory Hotel in Historic Deutschtown is one of the most unique attractions in all the of the city. By Neil Strebig When the Graf family took over Historic Deutschtown’s Priory Hotel in 1986 they wanted to create a memorable destination for visitors; one that stood apart from the other hotels in the area. They never expected the former-monk monastery to grow into one of the region’s premiere overnight destinations. They never expected to feature some of the finest banquet and dining facilities in all of Pittsburgh. Nor did they expect to see a Hollywood movie like “Southpaw” filmed on the property. “There’s really no business model like ours in the whole city,”
INSIDE
John Graf, Priory Inc.’s President and CEO, said, “Which is a European-style hotel that operates like a regular hotel, but it’s independent. It doesn’t have a national flag. It kind of sets us apart here; that we have a model that nobody else has.” Graf and hotel supervisor Adam Frye were recently acknowledged by the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association (PRLA) for their achievements in the service industry. Graf will take over as chairman for the PRLA, previously serving as vice chairman, state treasurer and President of the local Western PA chapter. Graf decided to leave his career in law before
-Comics, Page 6 STORIES, COLUMNS, -Photo gallery, Page 11 FEATURES & MORE -Education, Page 23
taking over Priory Inc. in 2002. “When you do a good job, you execute and people really have a good time in a memorable point in their life. It is much more gratifying than serving someone with process on Christmas Eve just to mess with them,” Graf said of his career move. Frye added: “I was kind of surprised, but it is an affirmation of I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. It feels really good.” The soft, but eloquently spoken Frye originally earned a BFA in drawing and painting from Edinboro University before deciding to take his abstract mind into the hospitality industry. He began See Priory, Page 16
See Chapel, Page 12