When we began imagining what Shamrock could become, one principle guided us from the beginning: if we were going to build something here, we wanted its success to contribute something unique to the community around it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We chose to invest in rural Somerset County because we were born and raised here. We believe deeply in the future of small towns and in the value of preserving the character, agricultural heritage and sense of community that make rural Pennsylvania special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our hope was never simply to build a restaurant. It was always intended to be a destination. We wanted to create unique, high quality experiences that give people more reasons to travel to Rockwood and the Laurel Highlands\u2014and, in doing so, help bring tourism, opportunity and economic activity to the small businesses and communities around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it remains a work in progress, the initial success is highly encouraging and something we are humbled to be part of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are already extraordinary reasons to visit this part of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Laurel Highlands offers mountains, farms and forests; world-renowned architecture; outdoor recreation; the Great Allegheny Passage; state parks; historic communities; and places of profound national significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We designed Shamrock to add another experience to that landscape. A countryside dining destination where guests could slow down, share a thoughtful meal, enjoy genuine hospitality and experience a setting that could only feel at home in rural Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next door, Shamrock Sporting Clays provides another opportunity to experience the countryside through outdoor recreation.Together, they have allowed us to begin creating experiences around more than a dinner reservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guests can spend an afternoon shooting sporting clays before dinner. Couples can turn dinner into an overnight getaway. Businesses can bring employees and clients to Somerset County for corporate outings. Friends and families can gather for special events and seasonal experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each gives someone another reason to make the drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most encouraging parts of this journey has been discovering just how far people are willing to travel to visit us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We regularly welcome repeat guests from the Pittsburgh region, Deep Creek and western Maryland, Morgantown and West Virginia, Hollidaysburg and communities throughout the tri-state area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2026, the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association recognized Shamrock as Best New Restaurant in the Pittsburgh Region<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were humbled by the recognition, but what excites us most is the opportunity it creates to introduce more people to this part of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When someone makes the drive from Pittsburgh, Maryland or West Virginia for dinner at Shamrock, we hope their experience doesn’t begin and end at our door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We want them to discover Rockwood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We want them to stay at a local bed-and-breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We want them to explore Somerset County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And we hope they leave thinking about when they can return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That philosophy is shaping the next stage of our tourism efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are working to strengthen collaborations with local bed-and-breakfasts and lodging properties so that dining, sporting clays, events and overnight accommodations can complement one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our growing calendar of chef dinners, wine and whiskey experiences, seasonal celebrations, live entertainment, sporting events, corporate outings and other special programming gives us opportunities to create experiences around which guests can plan a trip rather than simply a meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shamrock Sporting Clays is particularly important to that effort. Its countryside course gives corporate groups, friends and visitors an outdoor experience that can be paired naturally with dinner and an overnight stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When that happens, the benefit has an opportunity to extend beyond Shamrock to lodging properties, shops, attractions, service providers and other locally owned businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Great Allegheny Passage is one of the great assets running through our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hundreds of thousands of cyclists and outdoor travelers experience the Laurel Highlands from the trail, and Rockwood has the opportunity to be more than a point they pass along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have engaged a dedicated shuttle service that will make it easier for GAP travelers to move between the trail, local accommodations and Shamrock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A cyclist could finish a day’s ride, settle into a local bed-and-breakfast, take a shuttle to Shamrock for dinner or an experience, and return without having to worry about bicycles, equipment or transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following morning, they might have breakfast in town, visit another local business and continue their journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a relatively simple idea with a larger purpose: encouraging visitors to stop, stay and spend more time in Rockwood.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This year carries particular meaning for Somerset County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n September 11, 2026 marks 25 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Less than 30 minutes from Shamrock, Flight 93 National Memorial preserves the story of the 40 passengers and crew members of United Airlines Flight 93 and the sacrifice they made in the skies above Somerset County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People come here from across the country to remember them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the 25th anniversary approaches, we are mindful that our community has a special responsibility in welcoming those visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For us, this is not a tourism opportunity to be marketed. It is part of the history entrusted to this county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hope that visitors who travel here to remember and pay their respects experience the warmth and hospitality of Somerset County while they are here\u2014and understand how seriously this community continues to hold in reverence the memory of that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We don’t believe a destination succeeds in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A restaurant needs farmers, vendors and tradespeople. Visitors need places to stay. Lodging properties benefit from things for their guests to experience. Trails benefit from welcoming towns. Attractions benefit from restaurants and gathering places nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more reasons visitors have to spend time in Somerset County, the more opportunities there are for independent businesses throughout the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why collaboration is such an important part of what we are trying to build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We want to work with local bed-and-breakfasts, tourism organizations, farms, outdoor-recreation businesses and other small businesses to make it easier for visitors to experience more of the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our success means more to us when it can contribute to theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are still at the beginning of what we hope Shamrock can contribute to this community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is more to build, more to learn and many more partnerships we hope to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the founding principle remains the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We chose to invest here because we believe small towns deserve investment and opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We believe visitors will travel for experiences that feel genuine and connected to place. And we believe tourism is most meaningful when the people and businesses surrounding a destination have the opportunity to benefit from it too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Shamrock can give someone a reason to make the drive to Rockwood, stay the night, discover another local business, experience the Laurel Highlands and leave wanting to return, then we are helping accomplish what we set out to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Shamrock’s Legendary Sunsets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,9,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-farm-to-table","category-tourism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110,"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104\/revisions\/110"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shamrockwcb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Giving People Another Reason to Come to Somerset County<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Humbled by How Far Guests Are Traveling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Eat, Play, Shoot and Stay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Helping GAP Travelers Discover More of Rockwood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Welcoming Visitors to a Place of National Significance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tourism Works Best When a Community Grows Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rooted Here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n