a string of Middle Eastern restaurants
The latest addition, China Dragon, just hung out its shingle on the 100 block of South Allen Street in the former AT&T location. “Per square foot, that’s among the highest rent within the downtown,” says Jody Alessandrine, executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District. “That would indicate that the business owners anticipate doing some pretty brisk business.”
These businesses are appealing to the taste buds of a steady stream of customers coming from the other side of College Avenue. Penn State’s University Park campus currently has 4,436 international students, according to the university’s Department of Public Information. Most of these students—75 percent—are from Asia. (The top three countries? China accounts for 1,491 students; South Korea accounts for 635; and India accounts for 601.)
Among University Park’s U.S.-born students, 2,062 are of Asian ethnicity.
Asian Mainstays
One of the most popular Asian spots in State College is the India Pavilion, 222 E. Calder Way, known for its lunch buffet. (Kaarma, 120 E. Beaver Ave., also enjoys a loyal following.)
Owner Balginbdr Dedra attributes the success of his restaurant and others to a customer base comprised of locals and students—both Indian and non-Indian—with a willingness to try new food, and an appreciation for authenticity. “There are students from different countries that go out to eat at restaurants that remind them of their home country,” he sai
d.
The oldest Asian restaurant in town is Golden Wok, 332 W. College Ave., which opened in 1983. Manager Jeff Chen says the wealth of international choices underscores one of the town’s selling points. “It’s a diverse community—especially for central Pennsylvania,” he said.
Backpack to Bistro
A newer Asian restaurant that has received a warm reception from State College diners is Cozy Thai Bistro, 232 S. Allen St.
Owners Peeranee Musigchai and Suksan Ruangpattana received master’s degrees in hotel, restaurant and institution management from Penn State in 2004, and in 2006 they turned a class project into Cozy Thai. After large crowds filled the initial 454 E. College Ave. location, they moved to its current location on Allen Street.
Cozy Thai has filled a niche for diners looking for an authentic, Asian dining experience in a lively, modern setting. Weekends attract large dinner parties, which can be spotted on the street waiting for a table to open.
“We have heard from many people about being a trendsetter,” Musigchai said. “It is such an honor every time we heard about it.”
A Growing Market
The owners of Fuji and Jade Garden are hoping to replicate that success with My Thai, which opened last summer in Westerly Parkway Plaza. Despite initial reluctance from their landlord, the owners of My Thai opened on the premise that the market for Thai food “was not being fully tapped,” said Sc’Eric Horner, the bar manager at Fuji and Jade. Based on the lunch crowds, that assumption seems to have paid off.
Fuji and Jade Garden, 418 Westerly Parkway, has had a tougher start. Horner said the restaurant is still fighting the ramifications of the health code violations received by Oriental Buffet, its predecessor. “Business started out very slow, mostly due to the reputation of previous tenants,” Horner said, adding that Fuji and Jade has had a clean record since opening five years ago.
The restaurant is hopeful that the town’s diverse population will ultimately boost business. A demographic of pan-Asian students, professors and locals made them possible to exist, he said. But it doesn’t discount an American-born clientele with an increasingly adventurous palette.
Fuji and Jade recently introduced an entire page of about 25 authentically prepared Sichuan and Hunan dishes, and suggests beverages to match.
“There is no reason why authentic Asian foods cannot be the focus on menus at area restaurants,” Horner said. “With a little culinary experimentation from more open-minded American customers, you’ll be seeing the Americanized dishes (e.g. beef and broccoli, General Tso’s) give way more and more to traditional and upscale fusion preparations.”
If you have any insight on the business climate of downtown State College, drop us a note at editor@StateCollege.com. As always, we welcome any feedback.
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