Spring fever has caught up with the residents and students in and around State College, and they're looking to shake off the cold by sitting outside at their favorite restaurants and bars in the area.

For the past two weeks, nice weather has allowed for a welcome change-up from the winter months that were saturated with snow and rain, and people enjoying drinks and food on the sidewalks around town has not been an unusual sight.

On a recent sunny afternoon, two Penn State seniors sitting outside at Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave., explained why pleasant weather allows for an overall enjoyable mood.

"I only like [State College] when it's warm out," Megan O'Neill (senior-nutrition) said.

"I hate the winters around here and I don't like going to class or going out then because it's too cold. So I pretty much am just here for the summer and the good weather," she added.

Sitting right next to O'Neill was Mike Riordan (senior-finance), who echoed her sentiments.

"When the weather is nice, bars definitely become more appealing because of their outdoor seating areas," Riordan said.

"I just enjoy being outside in the sun and I think Café 210 is one of the best places to go on a nice day because there are always a lot of fun people here and it's always a good time," he added.

Café 210 owner Hal McCullough said he has been a witness to the smiles coming from happy customers in recent weeks.

"The crowds seem to really enjoy themselves more because they're able to be outside," he said. "They're getting rid of the cabin fever from winter and just relaxing and soaking up the sun. Anytime you get a 60-degree-plus day it really opens the outdoors up. Plus, we're located right on College Ave., which is a place to see and be seen."

Enticing customers with areas to eat and drink outside is something that local restaurant managers take full advantage of this time of year.

"Having an outdoor seating area helps increase business by both allowing people to sit outside and by allowing people who are already outside walking around to see the crowd enjoying themselves at our restaurant; it's a very useful marketing tool," said Joe Bann, manager of The Deli, 113 Hiester St.

O'Neill said that in addition to luring people in with outdoor seating, it pays to have a bigger amount of space to work with as well.

"It's always more tempting to sit outside on a nice day rather than go into a bar, and [Café 210] has a back outdoor seating area in addition to the front which is good because there is always somewhere to sit," she said.

Bann said he believes that in order to keep his customers in a good mood on nice afternoons, a high level of comfort must be achieved.