Walking out of Zola New World Bistro, State College residents Gregg and Lucy Rogers passed a line of 13 people and a duck.

They stopped outside and were discussing the reason for the congregation.

Penn State's Alliance for Animal Rights (AAR) was protesting outside Zola's, 324 W. College Ave., Friday and Saturday, calling for a boycott because the restaurant refuses to take foie gras -- a French delicacy of goose or duck liver -- off its menu.

"I have eaten foie gras before," Lucy Rogers said. "I do like it, but it's not something I'd go out and buy. I didn't know how it was prepared until a week ago."

Foie gras is made by inserting a metal pipe down the birds' throats three times a day to force food into their stomachs.

Gregg Rogers had already seen videos about how foie gras is prepared.

"That's why I don't eat it," he said. "I don't think many people eat foie gras. Not at $15, anyway."

This marked the third weekend of protest, with members from the group holding signs and handing out leaflets to inform restaurant patrons and passers-by.

"We're ready to go for as long as it takes," said AAR President Jessica Parry (junior-biobehavioral health).

AAR protested outside the restaurant from about 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday night.

Holly Schipp, a local resident who will be attending Penn State next semester, has dressed as a chicken in different AAR events, and Friday night she was dressed up as a duck, holding a sign at the time that read "Say No to Foie Gras," in front of Zola's.

"The sad thing is that by the time [the ducks and geese] are a few months old, most of them can't walk," Parry said. "They're raised in crowded pens and cages where they can't stand up or spread a wing."

Schipp said she did not believe any creature should have to endure those conditions.

"I don't understand how it's appetizing to eat a diseased liver," she said.

Zola's owner and chef Paul Kendessy said he was aware the group would be protesting.

However, would not comment on whether the delicacy would be removed from the menu.

"It's a free country, and they're welcome to protest anywhere they like," he said.

The group started planning the campaign this summer after a student organization at the University of Pittsburgh, Voices for Animals, had a similar campaign.

The campaign at the University of Pittsburgh managed to get eight restaurants to remove foie gras from their menus.

"There are other restaurants that sell foie gras," Parry said.

"We started with Zola's because it's a great location, and it's easy to get our message out," she added.

Florence Brachet (graduate-civil and environmental engineering), of France, recently had a graduation party with two foie gras containers she brought from France.

"Of course I know how it's made, but it's so good," she said. "If you protest for this, you have to protest for a lot of other things too, like meat production."

Kendessy said the group is welcome to keep protesting, but its timing is not good.

"There are lots of more important things going on in the world, and that's our customers' view on it," he said.

The response from people has been mixed, said AAR member Dan D'Eramo (sophomore-agricultural sciences), who was handing out leaflets.

"Overall, there are more people who support what we're doing rather than try to put us down," he said.

Gregg and Lucy Rogers had seen the protesters on a previous weekend.

"I was kind of hoping they were protesting something else -- there's more important things going on," she said.

Gregg Rogers said there are other ways for the group to channel their energy.

"Go out and do something more constructive than geese," he said.

Parry said AAR would continue protesting Fridays and Saturdays outside Zola until something is done about foie gras.

"If you don't think it's an important issue, we'll make it an important issue," she said.