New Restaurant with a Familiar Old Name On Way to Eastpointe as The Canteen Looks at August Opening
By Jeff Toquinto on July 30, 2024
When Walt Foster was child, he spent some of his youngest days at work with his mother in what many include in their list of most iconic restaurants in Clarksburg’s and Harrison County’s history.
Walt Foster would be crawling under tables and hanging around The Canteen, the legendary eatery situated for decades on Milford Street. Since he was a kid, he always had a soft spot for the restaurant, and for more than just spending early days there.
“My mother and father met there,” said Foster, who never got to experience the restaurant as an adult. “It’s been a part of who we are as a 
family for a long time.”
family for a long time.”
Sometime next month, Foster who is joined by Jared Spraggins (both of Clarksburg and former owners of Farm House Ice Cream at Gabe’s Plaza), will be opening up The Canteen at the Eastpointe Shopping Plaza in Clarksburg. While there is no way to duplicate the unintended magic of the business with the same name from Milford Street, the menu will pay homage to the former.
There will be their take on the Giovanni, which was the signature sandwich at The Canteen’s old downtown home. The new business will have handspun milkshakes, fresh cut fries, grilled hot dogs, and a few other items. The biggest of those other items is their burgers, something Foster believes they can do in a unique fashion.
What it will not feature is a 24-hour, 365-day “open for business” format style, a drive through, or a fleet of delivery cars. Instead, it will operate under more standard business hours (soon to be announced) in the former Penn Station location.
“The model today for a small restaurant with 24-hour dining and never closing would not work based on food costs and other issues, particularly things like staffing. There just would be no way,” said Foster. “But we will aim to do what we know The Canteen was known for.”
What that is this: Foster promises the goal will be for everyone to leave the establishment with a good taste in their mouth for the food and experience. And, he said they will deliver that at a fair price.
For Foster and Spraggins, they will continue their entrepreneurial business building. Along with Farm House that was sold, they also built another similar establishment in Florida called Tipacanoe. It, too, remains in operation today within the family.
The Sunshine State venture led to the latest one. Foster’s daughter lives in West Virginia and he found himself going back and forth between both states. The business partners were looking for a restaurant venture and initially sought space in Nutter Fort before Foster’s sister Sheila let him know the Penn Station space was vacant.
“That was perfect because it already had a hood system, which is very expensive, and was built in a manner for what we were looking to do with a restaurant from the hood system to plumbing, electric and kitchen layout,” said Foster. “It was a no brainer, even with some of
the makeover things we’ve done, to take over a place with a commercial kitchen set up for in and out service.”
the makeover things we’ve done, to take over a place with a commercial kitchen set up for in and out service.”
While paying homage to The Canteen, Foster said one of the key items will be the burgers. They will be of the smash burger variety, similar to what you have with Five Guys.
“While in Florida, we were at Five Guys and knew there were burger places, but nothing similar to that style for the made to order, fresh burger and the hand cut fries along with a hand spun milkshake,” said Foster. “We feel good about the burgers we’re going to offer.”
That same, never frozen meat, a fresh 80-20 selection, will be at the center of the Giovanni sandwich. It will include cheese and Oliverio Style Peppers on two pieces of Texas Toast.
“We want everyone who enjoyed The Canteen to come back and experience it. We want young people and young families to come in to have a wonderful experience and an affordable meal,” he said.
As for the Blake family that owned the original business for decades, the only connection is Foster’s mother who worked there. Foster said they cleared everything about naming through the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office and was told there were not only multiple businesses in the state from the past with similar names, but there was also nothing proprietary about any of them. The last business, he said, was a sole proprietorship from 2013, and that hurdle was also cleared.
Of course, Foster and Spraggins know the expectations for an eatery being described as similar but different will be off the charts. He said they are fine with that.
“My sisters and brothers are all in their 50s so they lived it; they were there so we’re aware of the pressure opening under this name and we’re okay with it,” said Foster. “We also know it’s something to bring in something for a new generation as well. We’re hoping people will find it a great place to hang out.
“I was extremely young when it closed, but we know we can’t replicate that experience,” he said. “We’re okay with that, too. We want to create a new one with a tip of the cap to the old one.”
Foster is certain the business will open next month. He said everything is in and they are now waiting for final approvals from various agencies and what are essentially punch-list items.
“We’re looking at training and some hiring, but we’re going to be family owned and operated,” said Foster. “We’re ready to go.”
Editor's Note: Photos show the door leading into the new restaurant, while a few interior images are also shown. Photos courtesy of Walt Foster.
