After months of renovations, Penn State-themed restaurant plans fall opening

After months of renovations and upgrades, a popular Centre County restaurant plans to open a long-awaited location in State College this fall.

The We Are Inn’s spin-off restaurant will open this fall at 1031 E. College Ave. at the former home of Damon’s Bar & Grill, which closed roughly 10 years ago before changing hands. The State College restaurant is expected to offer a slightly larger menu and far more entertainment options than its Penn State-themed predecessor in Philipsburg.

If the chips fall the right way, We Are Inn owner Pat Romano plans to open the new space — Happy Valley Live — around mid-September.

“Provided the contractors come in and move quickly, we’re targeting the bye week after the third game,” Romano told the Centre Daily Times Thursday. “That would help us get our team in without the football traffic and really overwhelm us. I want to put people in a good position to succeed, and when I say ‘people,’ that includes me.”

Romano first unveiled plans to expand his business to State College toward the end of 2024. Early timelines for opening Happy Valley Live pointed to March or early spring (in line with Penn State’s spring football game), but procedural measures and steps to obtain required permits slowed that process down, Romano said.

Now, local code officials have reviewed and approved plans for the space, laying the groundwork for contractors to put on some of the finishing touches. Romano said electricians are on their way next week to help finalize some utilities for the building, which had been closed for years before development on the new restaurant began.

Romano chose to name the new restaurant Happy Valley Live to emphasize its focus on dining and entertainment as opposed to lodging. He noted the restaurant shares a parking lot with a Hampton Inn and hopes the new name won’t confuse those who are looking for hotel rooms.

More importantly, Happy Valley Live’s name speaks to Romano’s hope to host a wide range of entertainment offerings, including line-dancing nights, mechanical bull rides and live music and DJ sets.

“That name speaks to everything,” Romano said. “We’re there to feed people, and when the dinner crowd dies down, we’re going to kick it up a few notches. Simultaneously, in the building, you could be in the bar area doing karaoke while the middle level might have an acoustic artist or two playing and the lower level might have a DJ or band with the mechanical bull going.”

Romano said Happy Valley Live also plans to host a “Bye Week Blues” comedy show during each football season. While the Nittany Lions get a week off to rest, the restaurant plans to invite Penn State fans to a comedy show that might ease their cravings for more football.

“We’re going to have Friday night comedy because no one’s getting up early in the morning the next day to tailgate,” Romano said. “So, you can come out, have a great time and party to enjoy some comedy and the fact that Penn State is still undefeated.”

Just like the We Are Inn, Happy Valley Live will serve a wide-ranging menu that includes tailgate favorite appetizers, burgers and other sandwiches, plus seafood dishes and Italian dinners supported by family recipes and inspired by Romano’s upbringing in the Philadelphia area.

Happy Valley Live plans to add ribs to its menu as a nod to Damon’s, which once occupied the same building. They were Romano’s go-to order, and he’s focused on finding the right ribs for his menu.

“We’ve tried ribs from around a dozen suppliers, and it’s hard to do all these tastings because I’m on a diet,” Romano joked.

The new restaurant will line its walls with Penn State memorabilia, including game-worn jerseys, signed posters and framed photographs of Beaver Stadium and other local sites. Romano said some pieces featured in his restaurants are donated by other fans and lettermen, while other pieces are pulled straight from his ever-growing collection.

Happy Valley Live is still accepting applications for nearly all positions, according to Romano, who noted its management positions are already filled. Interested applicants can email pat@theweareinn.com for more information, according to signs posted outside the restaurant.

Once it’s up and running, Happy Valley Live’s restaurant will open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, while nightlife functions will generally stretch from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Romano said he plans to post future updates on Happy Valley Live’s progress and eventual opening to a new Facebook page created for the restaurant.

This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 11:01 AM.

Matt DiSanto

Centre Daily Times

814-231-4616

Matt is a 2022 Penn State graduate. Before arriving at the Centre Daily Times, he served as Onward State’s managing editor and a general assignment reporter at StateCollege.com. Support my work with a digital subscription