After a successful soft opening on Tuesday, November 8th, Joe’s Hangout opened its doors to the public Wednesday. The restaurant took over the storefront located on the corner of Rosedale and Wesleyan Street, just across from the Baker Building.   

This location was formerly occupied by Ben’s Triple B. When Ben’s closed in May of 2021, the restaurant’s location remained empty until work began on Joe’s Hangout later that year.  

Roger Melwani, part owner of Joe’s Hangout, talked about the impact of bringing a restaurant back to the area. “It’s a college bar, but it’s also a neighborhood bar.”  

The need for a restaurant in the area was clear to Melwani and his business partner. “You guys really have low food [options] in this area besides Subway, a burger in a gas station and tacos in another gas station. I mean come on.”  

The menu at Joe’s Hangout features a wide variety of options including their classic New York pizza, pasta, cheesecake and salads. For the over-21 crowd, the restaurant also features a full bar.  

When you step foot into Joe’s, it becomes clear that “hangout” isn’t just part of the name. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar and a variety of games in the back. Individuals and groups can visit Joe’s for a quick bite or to grab drinks and watch a game on one of the 15 large screen TVs.  

“I am always open for a good pizza.” Taylor Somers, a general sciences senior at Texas Wesleyan, was one of many visitors on opening day. “These slices… I can’t emphasize this enough, are huge and very tasty! I haven’t had a good New York-style pizza in a minute, this definitely hit the spot.”  

Melwani made it clear that the journey to opening has been toilsome, but the payoff will be felt throughout the community. “We went through headaches after headaches, but we had to get open and that’s what we did.”  

“We are delighted that Joe’s Hangout is officially open,” said University President Frederick G. Slabach.  “A key component of our Engage 2025 Strategic Plan is to engage in community building with our students, neighbors and the private sector. Local businesses like Joe’s Hangout and Black Coffee help to revitalize our neighborhood and give the community a local place to enjoy a meal and connect.  I look forward to running into members of our RAMily at Joe’s Hangout soon.”  

Opening day at Joe’s Hangout showed the true impact of what a place like this can have on a community. Sitting around eating their meals, community members chatted with students and faculty like they were old friends, connections that may have never been made if not for the food and drinks they all shared that day.  

Joe’s Hangout is now open Monday to Saturday, 11am to 9pm and is located at 3020 E. Rosedale St.