Students will soon have a new option for late-night dining when The Shack, 219 E. Beaver Ave., opens next month above the Brewery, 233 E. Beaver Ave.

"This will be the first of many Shacks on many college campuses," Robert Fautz, co-owner of the restaurant, said.

Bobby Rossi, who graduated from Penn State in 2000, said he attended the Ohio State football game with Fautz, and the two became interested in opening a restaurant on Beaver Avenue.

Fautz owns a number of restaurants in New York City including several burger joints that are popular with celebrities, and Rossi runs several nightclubs, Fautz said.

"I went to the school and have dealt with the late-night pizza issue. The choices for late-night eating in the town weren't extensive," Rossi said.

The partners want to make a restaurant that will be a nightspot that is open later than any other restaurants, Fautz said. The two hope to provide a new eating option with the restaurant, which will feature a menu of burgers for $1.25, fries, milkshakes, and onion rings, he added.

"In New York, we serve about 3,000 burgers a day per store. They're unbelievable," he added.

Rossi, who works in marketing, said that the restaurant will be completely geared towards students.

"We're going to be sponsoring cookouts at fraternity houses and burger-eating contests on the HUB lawn," Rossi said.

Rossi said he wants the restaurant to give back to the students. Jay Horgas, owner of the Brewery building, proposed a license for H.I.M. Enterprises, LLC for vent pipes to the State College Borough Council last night.

Borough Council approved the license, which allows the vent pipes to encroach over the sidewalk. The license is one of the final steps towards opening the restaurant, Horgas said.

"Deconstruction is done and construction can now begin. Everything was waiting for this approval," he said.

The design will resemble a take-out restaurant similar to Canyon Pizza, 260 E. Beaver Ave., Horgas said.

The partners are aiming to open for Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, Fautz said.