Updated as of 11 a.m. on Sept. 17 to include video.
The Rosemary is under construction at the previous location of Mediterranean Deli and the first floor of Park Place, one of Elon’s on-campus apartment buildings. The restaurant will be located at 202 W. Haggard Ave.
The plan for the restaurant is to tailor to all members of the Elon community, featuring a long list of selections for every meal of the day, Derek Bates, owner of the new location at Park Place and Elon graduate ’85, said.
The top three floors of Park Place are on-campus student apartments. The university also owns a significant portion of the land Park Place is on, according to a statement sent by Owen Covington, university spokesperson. The bottom floor, the former location of Mediterranean Deli, is not owned by the university.
“Decisions about the leasing of the ground-floor space fall to the developer, which owns and operates the building,” Covington wrote.
Bates said Rosemary’s menu at Elon hopes to advertise a wide variety of different options, from fine dining Italian and smoked brisket to calzones, grab-and-go smoothies and acai bowls.
“I want this to be a place where students can come get their coffee or smoothies in the morning, and then come back later for some wings, pizza and beers,” Bates said. “I want there to be a little bit of something for everybody.”
Like many restaurants and stores around Elon’s campus, Rosemary’s will accept Phoenix Cash as a form of payment.
Bates said the goal is for construction to be finished by mid-October, opening Rosemary’s to early access parties before being opened up to the public.
Among the excitement of bringing a new restaurant to Elon’s campus, the construction of Rosemary’s means even more for Bates.
“I’m an Elon guy, and I’m very sentimental,” he said. “That makes it 10 times more exciting for me to be doing it here.”
The former storefront of Mediterranean Deli where the restaurant Rosemary's will be moving in as pictured on Sept. 10.
Bates said he hopes a Rosemary’s on campus gives students another location for students and staff to enjoy Elon nightlife, with a full operating bar with TVs and live music.
Bates said he would love to feature student musicians and artists on campus and already has a piano delivery on the way.
Rosemary's new parking spots replace the spots for Mediterranean Deli in both of the Park Place parking lots.
“We would love to have student musicians,” Bates said. “I want to utilize the energy and the talent of the university community.”
Other specific plans of the restaurant include bourbon and cigar nights, rented-out parties, Sunday brunch with a jazz trio performance and wine tastings from at least eight different wine purveyors.
“Something for everybody,” Bates said. “And it’ll be premium stuff but reasonably priced. I think this could be a winner.”