Hundreds of hungry customers piled into the dining room as smells of a new kitchen cooking food and hopes of success radiated into the atmosphere.
The Muncie community welcomed its newest restaurant as Average Joe's Grill, located at the former 909 Grille site, opened to a packed house Monday led by the efforts of Ball State University alumni and students.
General Manager Chad Massoth said the opening day was a success and had a great turnout. Average Joe's was originally scheduled to open April 14, but management decided to take an extra week to be sure everything was set up well, he said.
Even with the preparations, the restaurant is going to struggle for a while, Massoth said. The staff made several mistakes serving the opening-day crowd, but he said they are doing well to learn from those mistakes.
Ball State students are 80 percent of the staff, he said.
He said three Ball State alumni came up with the idea for the restaurant more than six years ago. Management has been working on the best ways to serve people with its restaurant concept for the past few months, he said.
Massoth said Average Joe's was a full, casual dining restaurant that would market itself mostly to students and families. The restaurant wants to create an atmosphere where anyone can walk in, get great service and feel welcome, he said.
The staff had been doing renovations to create the best atmosphere for the past few months, he said, including putting in new tables and booths, hardwood floors and lighting.
Average Joe's is a new concept that is going to take some getting used to, he said. Owner Mike Robinson, "Food Dude" Joe Denney and Massoth all came together from different restaurant concepts, and they wanted to break away and start their own business, he said.
"We're not here to get rich," Massoth said. "We're trying to provide a place for us to pay the bills and have a great time with the city of Muncie."
The emphasis of Average Joe's is on service, he said. The restaurant's slogan and philosophy, "The answer is yes, what's the question?" is displayed on the menu.
Muncie resident John Jett said the staff gave excellent service. He said he liked everything about the restaurant and would recommend it to anyone.
Massoth said management had been working with chefs in Indianapolis to perfect menu items since October. It tried cooking food from several companies in multiple ways to find what they were looking for, he said.
The restaurant has a full Italian and a full American menu, he said, and customers can mix and match sides and entrees.
The feature item on the menu is the "fugedaboudit burger," Massoth said. The burger measures taller than six inches and is a 10-ounce burger crushed under onion rings, cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, a fried egg, jack cheese, steak fries, mozzarella sticks and bacon.
Average Joe's also has its own steak seasoning, he said. They have been working with an outside company on a recipe for about four months.
He said he wanted to be involved with the Muncie community and charities. Average Joe's is the main food sponsor for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament in July.
"Thankfully we were lucky enough for them to let us sponsor it without ever trying us," Massoth said.
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