Diner won't open until early spring

The 24-hour, 1950s-style diner that was scheduled to open on campus New Year's Eve is now scheduled to open in early spring, officials said this week. Eat at Joe's, whose fast-food version debuted in the food court in the 3401 Walnut Street complex last fall, was originally set to open December 31 in the space adjacent to the Cinemagic movie theater on the 3900 block of Walnut Street. But although the date came and went, the designated spot is still vacant and University officials are now saying they don't expect the diner -- which students overwhelmingly requested in a recent survey -- to open for at least a couple of months. These delays leave many members of the Penn community wondering if their prayers for a safe, 24-hour dining spot on campus will ever be answered. The idea to bring a diner to Penn's campus came from an Undergraduate Assembly survey conducted in the fall of 1996. The survey asked 267 randomly selected undergraduate students whether or not they were satisfied with University City's late-night dining options. According to the survey, 97 percent of students said they wanted a 24-hour diner close to campus. Also, a vast majority of the students said they would go to the diner at least once a week. UA Secretary Olivia Troye said yesterday that the delay of the diner's opening is "a big letdown" to the UA members who put a great deal of work into the survey. Troye, a College junior, added that she was "not surprised" with the delay. According to Managing Director of Real Estate Tom Lussenhop, the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Eat at Joe's signed a lease for the 7,000-square-foot space effective January 1. Since the diner is occupying the space and paying rent, the company has an incentive to move quickly, he said. But Lussenhop said Eat at Joe's is running 60 to 90 days behind schedule due to "delays in construction, design and documentation development." He said he expects construction to begin within the next four weeks. "Working the kinks out for designing new diners has taken them longer than anticipated," he said. Officials at the company's headquarters were unavailable for comment yesterday. A manager at the 3401 Walnut Street location confirmed that the new diner should open in the spring, although he could not provide a definite date. In an interview earlier this month, Lussenhop said the diner "is part of the University's effort to realize the [40th Street] area's potential as a late-night hangout," he said. Eat at Joe's was founded by Anthony Cosenza, a 1990 graduate of Drexel University. He also operates the Philly Steak and Gyro Co. in the food court. The diner will offer inexpensive, traditional 1950s-style meals, in addition to healthier alternatives such as vegetarian meals.