For a town filled with college bars and polished restaurant spaces, Ben Lippincott saw room for something in between.

The newly opened Blue & White Pub, tucked inside the Blue & White Bottle Shop, is located at 222 W. Beaver Ave. The pub is nearing the end of its soft opening period and is ready for students, State College residents, and tourists alike to explore the new space.

As COVID-19 was ramping up, Lippincott began contract negotiations for the shop space, which had been open since 2021, and eventually closed a year later due to family and supply chain delays.

In a multi-faceted approach, the bottle shop remained in operation while everything was demoed and then flipped around. What was originally envisioned as a two-year renovation took four and a half years, with the final push in late August.

“I’d rather give it a good base and build that way,” Lippincott said.

The newly designed space builds on Lippincott’s mechanical engineering background. The reimagined space began as a design on graph paper, and details flowed from there.

From hand-welded steel to material selection, Lippincott said he ended up doing more hands-on work than he envisioned, but with his father’s help, they brought the space to life. Most materials are recycled and relatively sustainable, including air conditioning and hidden technology.

Lippincott knows the State College food scene, as he previously owned both Bradley’s Cheesesteaks and Hoagies locations in the area. The kitchen focuses on making as much as possible from scratch, positioning food as a strong value-add to the alcohol offerings.

As the menu continues to expand, Lippincott expressed plans to do “international studies,” where they’ll feature beer, liquor, and food from rotating countries.

On Thursdays, Lippincott hopes to appeal to a specific section of the State College demographic, where he’ll promote a concept titled “postgrad living, undergrad prices.”

While most places in State College reduce the price of well liquor on Thursday nights, Blue & White Pub will offer higher-quality alcohol for half the price.

“I also know that this isn’t necessarily a place for me. I feel like that’s a mistake some people make in this industry, where some places kind of revolve around one personality, one person. You have to pay attention to the trends and make sure you know the customer,” Lippincott said.

Lippincott saw a huge need for an establishment like the Blue & White Pub, one that brings the relaxed, carefree environment of a dive bar but with a polished feel.

“I think that State College was missing some kind of right-down-the-middle offerings. You have some places that are true dives, and everything new that’s opened has been a higher tier, higher dollar, high degree of finish,” Lippincott said.