JENNERSTOWN, Pa. – Nearly 30 years ago, Tina Buckham woke up to the sound of a curtain rod hitting the floor – and the smell of thick smoke.

Buckham said she was able to escape the fast-spreading fire with her life and little else – aside from a drawing of a flying lion she made years earlier in high school.

Today, that lion is the inspiration and namesake for her restaurant on U.S. Route 30 in Jennerstown.

And inside, whether it’s the paintings on the walls or the way she runs the business, Flyin Lion Pub & Eatery reflects the path that got her here, Buckham said.

“I think things in life go around, and eventually they land places,” she said, referencing how a lion she once drew on a whim now adorns her restaurant, 1498 W. Pitt St.

Life has been similar for Buckham herself.

She spent decades in the restaurant industry at Hidden Valley Resort, onetime Jennerstown staple Turillo’s Steak House, and even a corporate restaurant, whose endless “one-size-fits all” management practices she loathed.

She worked in every facet of restaurant operations, from waitressing to the kitchen, handling banquets and other tasks.

“I think I always knew I could do this,” she said of the idea of operating her own restaurant. It was simply a matter of timing and opportunity, she said.

With help from a friend and business adviser, the North Star High School graduate was able to purchase a shuttered bar in 2015 and debut Flyin Lion late that summer.

For Buckham, 50, cooking is another form of art.

Many of her creations – even the sauces she tops them with – are the result of experimenting with flavors, she said. That includes the sun-dried tomato-rich bacon parmesan topping she adds to ribeyes, prime rib and filet mignon steaks – or the aromatic apricot glaze that tops her sweet and savory pork shank.

Buckham said she traditionally has an ever-changing menu of specials that feature harder-to-find cuts of duck, seafood or other entrees.

But Buckham has strived to keep The Flying Lion a “neighborhood restaurant” with a blend of menu items that appeal to all tastes in the Jennerstown area.

Her goal is to offer a menu somewhere between diner food and the upscale dishes found at places such as Bedford’s Jean Bonnet Tavern.

“We’re part of a small neighborhood,” she said of Jennerstown. “You can’t offer people a $15 burger here.”

Instead, entrees start at around $11.99 and climb to higher price points.

Flyin Lion’s menu includes sandwiches, too, including one-third-pound hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and wings with more than 20 rubs or sauces.

That includes everything from the traditional hot or butter-and-garlic blends to originals such as blackberry ginger hoisin and a “sweet and mild” pineapple chipotle.

Much like her menu, Buckham has learned to find balance in her life. She and her partner, Mary, would soon find themselves taking another leap in life – adopting two children in the years after the restaurant opened. The boys are now 5 and 8 years old.

Their images also adorn Flyin Lion’s four walls, painted into outdoor scenery that also depicts her family’s Gray-area farm.

“They keep us busy,” she said with a smile.

She said she’s managed to keep her restaurant thriving with a core group of loyal employees.

Noting she was once in their shoes, she trusts them to handle customers the right way – and fix problems if an order goes wrong.

When they have ideas, Buckham said she listens, noting that when they decided to pool and split their tips daily, she supported the idea.

Everyone earns at least $15 an hour in the restaurant, she said.

Like pretty much every other restaurant in the industry, Flyin Lion could use more employees, too – but she said treating the ones she has fairly has helped her keep the good ones.

“I’m lucky to have a lot of really good help,” she said.

Operating a restaurant isn’t for everyone, Buckham said.

It’s hard work, long days and a labor of love.

“But it works for me,” she said.