On the Rocks opened its doors to the Quinnipiac community this past weekend with two events, followed up by a third one this past Wednesday night.
The weekend kicked off with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Feb. 28, followed by an event on Saturday evening for students 21 and older to watch the Quinnipiac vs. Yale men’s ice hockey game.
A look inside ‘On The Rocks’ as comedian Shane Smith performs. Photo credit: Sean Raggio
“I thought it went really well,” third-year management major Glenn Adams said. “I thought it was very well managed, and it was really easy for people to get in and out, and for people to get drinks. It was a great opening night experience. I think it is really important because it’s not just opening a pub, it’s opening a programming space that is at times open to the whole student body.”
With the pub being a brand new addition to the campus, it’s safe to say that there was a lot of excitement built up.
Sliders, nachos, quesadillas, and more are available at On The Rocks. Alcohol is served at particular events. Photo credit: Kailee Heffler
“The reason I think there’s a lot of buzz around it, I want to believe, it’s because students were involved in the process,” Director of Campus Life for Student Centers and Student Involvement Erin Provistalis said. “This was something that they really were vocal about, and they believed in, and they pushed for and found ways to show that there was a need for.”
Wednesday, March 4 was the first opportunity since its opening that all students could experience an event at On the Rocks. Comedian Shayne Smith performed with Katie Boyle as an opening act.
The event had food such as quesadillas, pretzels, loaded tater tots and chicken wings. No alcohol was served at the event. Students were able to play billiards and shuffleboard while the comedians were performing.
“It was a great turnout, more than we were expecting,” On The Rocks manager Danielle Herman said. “I know people really wanted the food, and a lot of people ended up staying. We counted around 80 people. I like how it was an event to incorporate people who are under 21.”
On The Rocks was filled during its grand opening. Photo credits: Kailee Heffler
Several of the remaining events in March will be centered around March Madness, according to Provistalis. In addition, On the Rocks will be open for both the men’s and women’s Final Four.
With all of the hype around On the Rocks prior to its opening, students had expectations going into its opening.
“I think also the layout … they put a lot more into it than we thought they were going to, the TVs were very nice,” Adams said. “The pool table, shuffleboard area…it just screamed school spirit. I think in the realm of spirit and tradition, it definitely exceeded my expectations.”
Having a pub on campus can also improve the safety of students when they decide to go out on weekends, which is an important factor for some when considering plans for a night out.
“I think that the biggest thing is the fact that people are now able to go somewhere and socially drink on campus,” senior Steven McAvoy said. “It isn’t like going to New Haven and forcing yourself to get an Uber and other things like that.”
While On the Rocks is located on the York Hill campus, it isn’t exclusively for Quinnipiac students.
“It’s a space where the community can come together,” Provistalis said. “Whether that’s students or faculty, staff, alumni, families…it’s a gathering place and it feels like that.”
On the Rocks will have five more events throughout March, and will have an April event schedule being released following spring break.
While On the Rocks is currently only open during specific events, the long-term goal is for standard business hours to come into effect in the fall.
The pub can be found on Instagram @ontherocksqu .