Lyles love it: Couple celebrate launch of Mindful Carnegie
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If you’ve never heard of an UTBAPH, they’re all over Western Pennsylvania.
You generally can tell by their peaked roofs, trapezoid-shaped windows and the fact that each of them Used To Be A Pizza Hut.
One of ’em is at 1001 Washington Ave., pretty much straddling the Carnegie-Scott Township line, and folks who were around way back in the 20th century can remember going there for Italian-style fare and possibly a six-pack to go.
These days, the selection of beverages is exponentially more substantial at what launched on Aug. 12 as Mindful Carnegie, which general manager Hailey Lyle calls kind of a laid-back version of the original Mindful Brewing Co. in Castle Shannon.
“I have my pinball machines. I have darts,” the Bethel Park High School graduate said. “We have trivia on Tuesdays, and then a really calm, cool chess group that comes in on Sunday.”
Anyone who comes in is greeted by a new food menu that accompanies the establishment’s rebranding from what had been called Asadero by Mindful, developed by Ryan Lyle, a Shaler Area High School graduate who happens to be Hailey’s husband.
“That was all him,” she said. “He was the mastermind behind that menu. He worked on that for quite a while, perfecting it.”
He also injected his personality, coming up with whimsical names for selections such as the Non-Trademark Infringement Burger.” Let’s just say that it features a pair of patties and “secret sauce.”
Then there’s the Hangover Cure, a “smashed” hamburger — the process creates extra browning on the outside while maintaining the juiciness — with cheddar cheese, egg, bacon and a hash-brown potato patty. As Ryan wrote on the menu:
“Here man, eat this, you’ll feel better.”
If that doesn’t quite do the trick, maybe “Animal Style” fries will, topped with crispy burger bits, sautéed onions, American cheese and more of that secret sauce.
“It’s amazing and really good for sharing, as well, if you want to,” Hailey said. “You might not want to.”
For diners who like to put their own spin on sandwiches, a BYOB — Build Your Own Burger — option offers the choice of smashed patty, chicken breast or veggie burger, with bunches of cheeses, toppings and sauces for finishing touches.
Mindful Brewing’s own beverages are available on draft or in cans, along with offerings from other local breweries and a wall-length refrigerator full of a wide variety of brands, a mainstay since the days when the business was known as 99 Bottles.
Speaking of which, Mindful co-founder Nick Jones served as 99 Bottles’ general manager before he and Marcus Cox opened their brewery in January 2017. That year, Hailey started working for them as a hostess and later moved to the kitchen.
“There was one New Year’s Eve night that we were super-busy,” she said. “They needed me out front, and I guess I proved myself. And they wanted me to become a manager.”
At that point, she and Ryan, who had been her boss in the kitchen, decided they could start dating. They were married Aug. 8, 2021, and live in Castle Shannon.
“It’s nice that we know how to talk to each other. We know when the other is stressed, and talking about problems and hurdles that we have to go through is a lot easier,” Hailey said. “The teamwork and the team building have carried over from marriage into work, and it works well. It’s fun to work with your best friend.”