The Vesuvios Pizzeria sign lay buried in sawdust on a cement floor last week, the lone remnant of a restaurant that served State College for more than 20 years. Soon a new eatery, V and S Sandwiches, will open in the pizzeria's former venue.

Paneling from the pizza shop's walls lay broken into pieces and propped against the wall, revealing paintings of topless dancers — artifacts from the 1960s when 128 E. College Ave. was My-O-My, the only adult entertainment club in town.

By April 1, the signs and pictures of erotic dancers of Vesuvios Pizzeria and My-O-My will make way for the newest taste of the town, which will feature cheese steaks and other sandwiches.

Mike Flanagan, co-owner of the V and S Sandwiches franchise that will open downtown, grew up around a V and S Sandwiches restaurant that he ate at often. Now he wants to give back to his community the restaurant that played an important role in his childhood.

"When I was a boy, V and S Sandwiches was very popular around me. And now I have the desire to supply the students of Penn State with the same great cheese-steaks," Flanagan said.

Flanagan heard from Jack Sapia, owner of the East College Avenue building that housed Vesuvios, the pizza shop was closing. The closure presented Flanagan with the opportunity he had been looking for.

Located directly across from Old Main, "it is a terrific location that is hard to pass up," Flanagan said.

There are about 10 V and S Sandwiches restaurants across Southeast Pennsylvania. Each one specializes in cheese steaks, fries and other American sandwiches.

The newest addition to the chain is supposed to open in State College on April 1, but that date depends on the pace of construction, Flanagan said.

Construction crews from Veronesi Building and Remodeling, 1111 W. College Ave., have been tearing apart the former Vesuvios Pizzeria for more than a week. A makeshift wood plank doorway juts out onto the sidewalk creating a cave-like entrance to the construction zone, which is marked with the drawings of bare-breasted women.

"All we need is a poster under those women and we'll have a happening place here," Travis Stallman, a workman for Veronesi Building and Remodeling, said jokingly.

Some students were surprised and upset when they heard Vesuvios Pizzeria had gone out of business. But they were eager to try a new style of food.

"It is always sad to see a store go. I have empathy for the owner and I thought Vesuvios had a good product," Carolyn Wassong (sophomore-microbiology) said.

"I'm not surprised to hear it closed. There is a pizza shop on every block downtown," she said. "I think a cheese steak shop will add variety and uniqueness to State College."