Eat at Joe's opens doors after delays

However, the 1950s-style diner will not be open 24 hours as first planned. A little bit of the 1950s snuck back onto the western edge of campus this week as the Eat at Joe's diner officially opened it doors for business after months of anticipation. The establishment -- located on the 3900 block of Walnut Street -- is operated by CosCo Management, which also owns La Pastabilities, Philly Steak and Gyro Co., the newly opened Salad Creations and the Eat of Joe's Express in the food court at 3401 Walnut Street. The company's chief executive, Andy Cosenza, is a 1990 graduate of Drexel University. Although Eat at Joe's was originally scheduled to open New Year's Eve, it was postponed several times due to design issues and construction delays, according to University and CosCo officials. The impetus for the diner came from a student body survey conducted by the Undergraduate Assembly in the fall of 1997. When the results revealed an overwhelming desire for more late-night dining options on campus, University officials set about recruiting a diner to fill the bill. Although the diner did not officially open until Tuesday, there has been a steady stream of people filing into the establishment over the weekend. According to CosCo Director of Operations Steve Malamut, the diner was training staff over the weekend and those who happened to pop in were treated to a free meal. "Things went very well and we fed everyone for free," Malamut said. "They could order anything on the menu." But when the diner opened for business Tuesday, it was not with round-the-clock service as originally planned. Although the UA survey indicated that 97 percent of students wanted a 24-hour dining venue, Eat at Joe's will hold less exhaustive business hours -- at least for now. Malamut explained that due to uncertain demand, the summer hours will run from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the week, with extended service until midnight or 1 a.m. on weekends. He also noted that the hours will be further extended for the school year. "I'd love to have to be open for 24 hours because of demand," Malamut said. "If the demand is there, we'll stay open, but we also need University approval because there are safety concerns." College senior and UA member Samara Barend admitted that daily 24-hour service may not be necessary. "The diner will still serve the purpose of Penn students if its hours are adjusted to their late-night demands accordingly during various days of the week," the former UA vice-chairperson said. "It's hard for us to expect it to stay open 24 hours on early weekday nights when demand would likely be minimal." And although Tom Lussenhop, Penn's managing director for real estate, maintained that 24-hour operation "is still a possibility," he echoed Malamut's concerns of security and demand. He explained that as the establishment occupies a University-owned building, Penn has influence over the operating hours of the diner. "The operating hours are part of the lease agreement, so [Eat at Joe's] has to abide by them," he said. "So, we do have control in that sense." Lussenhop did add, that as of now, the diner is set to stay open from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. during the school year, closing down for only three hours a day.

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