Earlier this month, the State College pizza joint Weirdoughs announced its closure via Instagram. Standing at 204 E. College Ave., Weirdoughs served slices to the community since September 2020.

With prime real estate now available for lease on College Avenue, our staffers made some suggestions for what should take its place.

Joe Lister: Normaldoughs

This idea is semi-serious. Penn State could use a pizza place that is just normal. No health code violations, no shutting down in the middle of the night, and no weird Instagram feeds or hate campaigns against Onward State (although, this was pretty funny).

I’m not saying that State College needs a place called “Normaldoughs,” but it does need a good pizza place. There aren’t enough solid pizza options for Penn State students and it’s time for someone to come through.

Side note: If anyone opens a pizza place in State College called “Normaldoughs,” I want free pizza for life.

Devon Craley: Steve’s Prince Of Steaks

There are so many good places to go for a cheesesteak in and around Philadelphia. The same cannot be said for State College with the exception of Bradley’s. My pick to replace Weirdoughs is my favorite Philly cheesesteak spot: Steve’s Prince of Steaks. Steve’s does it right with its perfect balance of steak and cheese. Steve’s recently announced it is adding a location in New Jersey, so why not go a little further out and come to Penn State?

Downtown State College needs a cheesesteak spot. If Steve’s were to come to College Avenue, it would instantly be the best late-night food spot.

Adam Babetski: Steve’s Prince Of Steaks

I’m just going to go with Devon here. He’s a certified Philly guy, so I trust his cheesesteak judgment implicitly.

Brendan Wagner: Taco Bell

It’s time. The return to glory.

State College hasn’t been the same since the loss of downtown Taco Bell just over three years ago. T-Bell is easily a top-two best late-night spot for food and it’s not number two. Someone out there needs to bring it back for all of us.

Colleen Nersten: Faccia Luna

Let’s replace Weirdoughs with an actually good and normal pizza place: Faccia Luna.

Currently located on South Atherton Street, the restaurant would thrive with a mini location just steps away from Penn State’s campus. Rather than being full-service, it could serve pizza by the slice — plain and simple.

Rico Gore: Coca-Cola Store

Due to the unfortunate events that occurred recently, the extension of Pepsi’s contract with Penn State, I am proposing that a Coca-Cola store replace Weirdoughs downtown. This store will be similar to one of those top-tier, incredible Coca-Cola stores that you find at Disney Springs or somewhere like that.

In addition to every kind of Coke product available, this store should also include Coke merch. Speaking for my fellow Coke addicts, we need merchandise to wear around campus and assert our dissent against Pepsi’s tyrannical rule over Penn State. Also, personally speaking, I need some fresh Diet Coke drip.

Aidan Conrad: Onward State Headquarters

My pick to replace Weirdoughs is Onward State’s headquarters. There have been a lot of memories made in the Carnegie Building, but there comes a time when you need to upgrade. The pizza joint closed at the end of the school year, which is perfect timing for our staff to move in by the fall.