As students returned to Grounds in late August, new offerings on the Corner such as 105 Grill & Pub, Kuma Sushi Noodles & Bar and Poe’s Public House. At each, managers hope to revitalize the Corner and change the way students view popular food offerings.
Though students often associate the Corner with drinking, bars and weekend activities, there is a new push to shift this focus and build a safer, friendlier atmosphere.
Formerly No. 3 restaurant, Poe’s Public House on University Avenue stands behind this safety initiative. With new management, a new simplified menu and a new name, Poe’s is entering the game with one major goal: comfort.
“What we’re going to bring to the community is comfort — comfort food, comfort in being here,” co-owner Joe Fields said. “Being a public house and this is a public university, we want to be a place where people feel comfortable when they come in. I always said my idea behind it was that you would come here to have a meal or drinks and be more concerned about the people you are with than where you are.”
Also marketing themselves as a safe space, 105 Grill & Pub on 14th Street seeks to provide quality Asian fusion food. With an affordable menu prepared completely in house, students are welcome to sit inside or grab food on the go.
“The Corner has always been a part of the University, a place for students to relax, have fun,” General Manager Erin Song said. “I hope we can become a place that people know that when they come into the door they are welcome. [The Corner] is indeed an extension of the University. [It is the responsibility of] students as well as the restaurants and store owners to maintain it in good order.”
Song hopes the new influx of restaurants on the Corner — which is as ingrained in University culture as streaking the Lawn and complaining about "Club Clem" — will establish a safe spot for students to socialize at all hours.
“[As] a graduate from U.Va., I know sometimes people think of the Corner as a place to drink, go to bars, have that kind of fun, but the Corner can be a different place for different people,” Song said. “It depends what your perspective is. Everybody comes here not only to drink but to have a normal social experience.”
Replacing Sushi Love, Kuma Sushi Noodles & Bar on Elliewood Avenue features an affordable menu, quality sushi and ever-famous karaoke.
“The difference between our restaurant and others is that they focus mainly on alcohol [and the bar] but we mainly focus on the restaurant,” General Manager Steven Li said. “The difference between [us and] other sushi and Asian restaurants [is that] we also have entertainment for college students, such as karaoke. We’re trying to cater to the University that way.”
As the middle ground between many student housing options and University Grounds, the Corner remains a long-standing tradition — even in times of change.
“It is very much like a social place,” second-year Education student Breanna Dufour said. “If you just want to go hang out with friends you can go there, there are places to study. It’s very much cultural for University students and the people of Charlottesville. I really think that people should give the new restaurants a chance because they have a lot to bring to the Corner.”
As each works to integrate itself into the University community, they bring with them a unique style in hopes of one day becoming a Corner staple.
“We’re just going to try to make everybody happy, make everybody comfortable,” Fields said. “Hopefully we will become a tradition.”
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