From burgers to baseball, Star Pittsburgh's Bubba is man of many titles
Mark Snider goes by many names and titles. Husband. Father to four children. South Fayette Township resident. Entrepreneur and restaurant owner. Baseball coach. Pro wrestler. Volunteer. And his alter-ego — Bubba, of Star Pittsburgh 100.7 FM.
Born in Greenfield, he graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and was the voice of the Dragons' sports teams. He went on to Bethany College where he played baseball. Later, he began as an intern at the now former popular top 40 radio station B94, washing the vans and setting up the giant inflatable “Super Bee” at events. He then became the morning show producer for “Quinn and Banana.”
His current co-host, Melanie Taylor, began with him on the Buckhead and Bubba Show on B94 in 2008.
“When we launched the Bubba Show five years ago, our concept was a lot different than anything else on the radio,” said Bubba. “We wanted to build a radio family. I wanted to give listeners a reason to care. We have fun, whether it is our Shine a Light on Bullying Campaign, Erase the Epidemic Campaign (anti-opioid/heroin), the Bazzy and Bubba's Backpack Collection, Thanksgiving Turkeython or the ‘Yes, Pittsburgh There is a Santa' activity. We do things to help the city we were born and raised in. We care and have built a radio family who cares, too.”
Bubba can also be seen coaching Taylor Allderdice High School varsity baseball and the Steel City Spartans U15 AAU travel baseball team. He is a pro wrestler with PWX (Pro Wrestling Xpress). He also donates time to other causes dear to his heart.
His first entry into business ownership was Planet Bubba, an under-21 nightclub in Latrobe. Then he opened Bubba's Ugly, a bar/restaurant located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh.
When he moved to South Fayette, he worked with his dad Ed, who owned a meat market while he was growing up, to develop what he considers the perfect burger — a mixture of New York strip, ribeye, sirloin and brisket.
This became the centerpiece of his Bubba's Gourmet Burghers and Beer restaurant, 3109 Washington Pike, South Fayette.
Owned with Bubba's best friend Ed Kelly, a retired veteran of the Navy who has years of leadership and management experience with both corporations and the federal government, the restaurant's beef is ground fresh daily and is sourced within 90 miles of the restaurant. The beef is grass-fed, corn finished, and antibiotic, steroid and hormone free. He considers it a “farm to table” restaurant. They proudly sponsor “Bubba's Gives Back” which is the fundraising arm of the business. He also now has a second Bubba's location outside of Wheeling, W.Va.
“It is important that we put more love and kindness in the world,” Bubba said. “There is so much negativity that I think it is very important that we all do our parts to turn it around and be positive. Neither Melanie nor I are any different off the air as we are on the air. I stay true to who I am.”
The restaurant is open noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. Bubba is on Star Pittsburgh 100.7 from 5 to 10 a.m. weekdays.
Charlotte Smith is a Tribune-Review contributing writer. Reach her at 724-693-9441 or charlotte59@comcast.net.
