A Penn State alumnus has come back to Happy Valley this spring, and he is looking to get involved in university life again -- this time through food.

Bobby Rossi, a 2000 graduate of Penn State, has returned to State College to open The Shack, a restaurant that will give students another option for late-night dining.

The Shack, 219 E. Beaver Ave., opened last week above The Brewery, 233 E. Beaver Ave., and will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., offering hamburgers and cheeseburgers for $1.25 to $1.50.

Rossi, who operates businesses in New York City, said he decided to open The Shack to give students more choices when eating downtown, particularly late at night, and to become involved in student life.

"Now that I have this outlet of a restaurant, I'm trying to, on top of bringing people a good product, use it as a way to give back to the students," Rossi said.

During his time as a student at Penn State, Rossi, a finance major, was a member of Delta Chi fraternity and was active in the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon and Homecoming.

Rossi said he and co-owner Robert Fautz, another restaurant owner in New York City, want to introduce The Shack to students as not simply a place to eat. "We want to be more than just a restaurant," Rossi said.

Fautz said they plan on throwing parties at fraternities, creating T-shirts and eventually having a grand opening party for The Shack.

Rossi added that The Shack wants to become involved in Homecoming and sponsoring concerts.

"I want to have The Shack presenting these things to the student body the same way I did when I had a fraternity or a student organization behind me," Rossi said.

Rossi said that when he was a student at Penn State, the options for late-night eating were fairly limited, and pizza was usually the only choice.

"The Shack is going to have simple food at a good price," Rossi said.

Jay Horgas, the owner of The Brewery building on Beaver Avenue, said that the building is a good location for restaurants and that he has "a lot of interest from food establishments for the building."

Horgas said there is the possibility of more restaurants coming to that area.

Rossi and Fautz expect The Shack in State College to be the first of many to open in college towns across the country.

"The fact that Penn State is getting this before anyone else is pretty cool," Fautz said.

Rossi knows the role he wants The Shack to play in life at Penn State.

"We want to give back to the student body and bring fun to State College," Rossi said.