One Blackstone Tavern employee said she thinks the new west-Manhattan bar has one thing no other bar in town does — Sloppy Joes.

"Nobody has Sloppy Joes," said Kelsey Head, Manhattan resident and employee at Blackstone Tavern. "They're delicious."

One of the most popular items on the bar's menu are Sloppy Joes, and its hybrid cousin, Sloppy Joe Nachos.

However, the bar, located in Westloop Shopping Center, offers more than this sandwich: It aims to become a home away from home for customers.

Near the intersection of Anderson Avenue and Seth Child Road, Westloop might be off the beaten path for some students, but Jeff Zerr, owner of the tavern, said he wanted to start his business away from the crowded conditions associated with Aggieville. He also said although his dream is to have a full restaurant someday, he is starting off slowly and keeping the tavern small to encourage the staff to be more personable with customers.

"I've always been a fan of sit-down bars," Zerr said. "I love food. I love quaint little places to eat where everyone knows you, and recognizes you."

For those who already know Zerr, this should come as no surprise. He is originally from the tiny farming community of Park, Kan., where the 2000 U.S. Census counted 151 people. Zerr came to Manhattan to attend K-State and said he fell in love with the town.

"I feel like I'm part of Manhattan's new generation of residents," Zerr said. "It's perfect, and I really enjoy it."

After graduating in May with a degree in journalism, the 23-year-old entrepreneur set his sights on building a bar that brought his passions for food and small, "homey" bars together. Finding a name for it presented a challenge, however.

"I didn't want to have a bar named after myself," Zerr said. He said he chose the name by deciding he liked the sound of the word "tavern" better than "bar," picking a color and hearing the word "stone" used as a unit of weight for a fighter on the TV show, Ultimate Fighting Championship. The result was Blackstone Tavern.

The tavern features five TVs, a pool table, more than 40 varieties of beer and a menu that boasts some innovative bar food that illustrates his love for all things "homey."

Head said she had worked with Zerr off and on for several years in different bars in the Manhattan community. When Zerr began his fledgling business, she was right by his side.

"Jeff's a good owner," Head said. "He's very personable and has a big heart, so it's easy to want to work hard for him."

Blackstone Tavern has been open for two months open for just more than two months.

"I'm really excited because we've been busier than I projected," Zerr said, adding that the tavern's primary source of advertisement so far has been word-of-mouth.

Zerr said he tries to draw more of the college crowd during the week, offering specials such as karaoke on Thursdays and half-priced drinks for "College Night" Wednesdays. On weekends, he said, the demographic shifts to people about 24-years old and older, including career soldiers. Zerr said some soldiers chose Blackstone Tavern to hold their farewell party and he enjoyed being able to do something for them.

Not all parties at Blackstone Tavern are bittersweet. For Halloween, the bar had a two-day long event to celebrate, where Zerr shamelessly dressed as a Chippendale dancer. Plans are in the works to have an "ugly Christmas sweater party" next month.

Being a new bar, the future of Blackstone Tavern is hard to predict, but Zerr is optimistic. He works between 12 and 16 hours a day, six days a week, ensuring he and his dozen employees continue to make customers feel at home.

"I would always encourage people to try new things out," Zerr said. "Go to the little places you've never been."