How a revamp of the menu, interior at The Corner Room in State College aims to ‘create nostalgia’

In 2019, Pat Croce & Company purchased Hotel State College & Company, which includes a handful of iconic downtown State College restaurants. If you’ve been to Chumley’s or Allen Street Grill in the last year, you’ve seen the new ownership’s handiwork, giving new life to these favorited spots.

Most recently, The Corner Room received this same treatment, debuting a new look and new menu. Pat Croce & Company CEO Jeffrey Sorg said the changes were “much-needed,” and he and his team aimed to preserve the restaurant’s ambiance and history while upping the quality of both experience and food. Most of the renovations occurred over the summer, with The Corner Room reopening in late July. Since then, the restaurant has been slowly rolling out its new menu changes, with more to come this winter.

“Our aim was to improve the physical space and introduce some menu changes in a way that honored the history of the restaurant and space, but created some new, positive energy for both our guests and staff,” Sorg said. “We sought to balance keeping the restaurant very recognizable and familiar, with needed improvements. ... We collaborated with current and past team members and customers to ensure the changes were heartfelt. We also approached the project as an opportunity to train the entire staff on the menu, hospitality and service standards.”

So what can diners expect if they’ve yet to experience the new and improved Corner Room?

Sorg is happy to report the restaurant’s breakfast and soda fountain counter is back, rebuilt in its same location from the 1940s and ‘50s. Booths have been reupholstered and the old telephone booth at the front of the restaurant has been revamped as a retail space offering restaurant-branded coffee mugs and hats, and Corner Room coffee. The menu, meanwhile, has received changes that Sorg said focus on quality, fresh ingredients and creativity.

“We leaned into classic American comfort food and diner classics, sometimes with a modern twist, using more seasonal and locally fresh ingredients. The focus of the Corner Room concept is to create nostalgia by offering familiar comfort food items using quality ingredients, proper technique and developing clean and bright flavors — and we hope to showcase even more of that in the near future,” Sorg said.

The new menu has done away with some long-time items like the hot turkey dinner and shepherd’s pie to make way for new breakfast offerings and more gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian options. The current menu’s trout entree and reuben sandwich have been been popular with guests, Sorg said. The blackened rainbow trout is a gluten-free offering served with a street corn salad, shishito peppers, queso fresco and lime cream. The reuben is more on the traditional side, topped with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.

Sorg is also excited about the restaurant’s upcoming three-course, prix fixe Thanksgiving meal, which will be open to diners on a reservations-only basis (call the restaurant to make a reservation). The special holiday meal will include a choice of sweet potato soup with a chestnut crumble and maple cream or a bibb lettuce salad to start, followed by a roast turkey entree with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted green beans and squash. Dessert options include a warm chocolate bread pudding with pumpkin ice cream and an apple crisp. Upcoming seasonal cocktails are also on tap.

The new breakfast menu, though, has been The Corner Room team’s biggest priority for the time being, Sorg said. The breakfast menu includes diner-style staples like steak and eggs, pancakes, waffles and omelets, alongside a few more creative surprises, such as the breakfast quesadilla.

“Overall, the response has just been fantastic,” he said. “Previously, we had been known for a great reuben sandwich. Now we’re hearing ‘best reuben I’ve ever had’ on a regular basis. There was some early apprehension when we spoke with guests about the menu changes prior to the renovations, but once they tried the new menu, these worries subsided.”

Check out The Corner Room’s new website, current hours and new menus at www.cornerroom.com.