Tom Papinchak said the smoothie was relatively new to Western Pennsylvania when he started selling the fruity concoction in the mid-1990s, first from a mobile thatched-roof kiosk and then at his Tropical Bungalow kiosks in Westmoreland Mall, downtown Pittsburgh and The Galleria in Johnstown.

About 10 years later, he moved on to other business and restaurant pursuits and the Tropical Bungalow was no more.

Now it’s back, thanks to his daughter Sydney, 23, who revived the name and revised the concept for an eatery at 5138 Route 30 East, site of the former Rita’s Italian Ice in Hempfield’s Eastgate Plaza.

The second-generation Tropical Bungalow offers drive-through and window service for smoothies — now called Shakers — in a variety of fruit combinations, along with burgers, fries, frozen custard, ice cream, floats, milkshakes and cold or frozen flavored coffee drinks.

It’s no surprise that Sydney would gravitate to the food business, Tom said. She was behind the counter of the original Tropical Bungalow from the time she was 6 months old.

“By the time she was 2, she was handing customers their orders,” he said. “She was the face of the business.”

A graduate of Geibel Catholic High School and Washington & Jefferson College, Sydney is partnering with her sister Courtney, 16, a rising junior at Greensburg Central Catholic High School.

Courtney is her “partner in progress” who acts as a shift leader and does all other necessary tasks to keep things running smoothly, Sydney said.

“The Tropical Bungalow concept came from how my dad was always drawn to sun and the beach and family vacations,” Sydney said. “It was what he wanted to feel, when you have a good drink and you’re relaxed, to always having that atmosphere around him.”

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There’s no laid-back island feel to the way the business is run, though.

“Everything is fresh and made to order. There’s nothing frozen here,” she said.

Said Tom: “The key here is consistency. Whether I make it or she makes it, it tastes the same. We’re striving for quality.”

In little more than a month, the Bungalow Burger has gained a loyal following. Available as a single, double or triple with or without cheese, the burger sports onion, pickle, a grilled pineapple ring and a sweet and spicy Tropical Sauce.

One customer even offered to make a sign advertising it.

“I said, ‘What’s it gonna say?’ ” Tom said. “He said, ‘Best Burger in Greensburg.’ He comes back at least once a day for something.”

“A lot of people will get their burger and fries and park and eat them, then come back through for dessert,” Sydney said. “It makes a nice combination.”

The drive-through, walk-up format works for a lot of their customers, she added.

“Most people are on the go and they want to be able to grab their food. We do have the benches where they can sit, as well,” she said. “It’s a great spot on Route 30, accessible from either direction. There’s a lot of traffic within Eastgate Plaza already, so it seemed like the perfect spot.”

The Papinchak sisters have about 15 employees.

“Most of our staff is under the age of 18, so we’re able to help them grow and teach them valuable lessons. For a lot of them, it’s their first job,” Sydney said. “It’s a lot of fun to see them come into their own. The progress they’ve made in the past month is really impressive.”

The Papinchak sisters have a natural business acumen, their father said, but they also learned by participating in the family businesses from childhood on.

“They’d be in the back seat riding to school and they’d hear me talking business,” Tom said. “We’re fortunate that they have the desire to take this into the next generation, but they’re not being handed anything — they’re actually earning it.”