Pat Romano has been heavily involved in the Penn State community for his entire life.

From growing up visiting his family’s Philipsburg hunting camp, attending Penn State football tailgates, relocating to Centre County, and opening the We Are Inn, Romano has no shortage of blue and white pride.

Now, he can add operating a concession stand in Beaver Stadium to the list.

Romano, the owner of the We Are Inn and executive chef of the Lobby Grille in Philipsburg, plans to open two cheesesteak concessions stands in both the north and south ends of Beaver Stadium ahead of the 2023 football season. The stands can be found near the north end’s section NB and the south end’s second-level student section entrance at stand 28.

Romano and the folks at the We Are Inn plan to roll out high-quality cheesesteaks for $14 each, featuring ribeye steak and Philadelphia-based rolls. As the season progresses, Romano will likely add specialty cheesesteaks and more menu items to his slate of offerings, too.

“A large percentage of the student population in that student section are from the eastern side of the state,” Romano said. “So they’ve got all through Harrisburg, Lancaster, down through Philly, up to Scranton, and the word getting out on that is I think it’s going to be pretty amazing. I just hope we can feed everyone that wants to be fed.”

Romano, a Norristown, Pennsylvania, native, is thrilled to share the “sandwich culture” he grew up surrounded by, and while the We Are Inn will remain a Centre County lodging staple, Romano aims to bring an authentic taste of home a little closer to Penn State students and fans alike.

“Some of the people, especially on noon games, they don’t have time to set up and rather than them hanging out trying to join some tailgates, they can come inside and get good food,” Romano said. “I think that the university is doing a wonderful job, especially with Pat Kraft down there and his team, and the people in the concessions. They’re really, really looking at something to give to people to create a better fan experience.”

Romano and the We Are Inn also have plans in motion to open another restaurant location in State College to join the Philipsburg flagship. So as Romano works diligently to open the two Beaver Stadium concessions stands and a new restaurant location, it’s clear his love for Penn State and Happy Valley runs deep.

“We’re a family business,” Romano said. “We take a lot of pride in what we do and we look forward to coming over and making people happy on gamedays. Happy Valley’s going to get happier. It’s going to be called ‘Happier Valley’ after we’re there.”