Mailman by day, restaurateur by night, Jerry Windsor, co-owner of Café Ology, has become somewhat of a superhero on campus.

The cleverly named restaurant, which is conveniently located across the street from High Rise, has become a trendy place to study and socialize while getting the kind of pizza Bon Appetit dreams about. If you wander over at night, you can catch Windsor in his red Wesleyan t-shirt wearing a cheerful smile, despite the fact that he has been up delivering mail to the people of Middletown since 8 a.m.

What makes the tale of this popular spot even more impressive is the fact that Windsor, who has been in the postal service for 21 years, had no experience in the restaurant business prior to its opening. He first started thinking about the location after walking down Church Street on his mail route and noticing that the restaurant Cozy Corner II had folded.

To call Café Ology—which opened this past January—a family business would be more than appropriate. The friendly staff includes co-owner Christine Bishop, Windsor, his brother, his son, his nephew and a few lucky students.

“We have over 25 applications in the back from Wesleyan kids who want to work here,” Windsor said.

Last Friday night, the scene at Café Ology consisted of students chatting over their food and drinks while enjoying some complimentary live music.

Waterwheel, formerly known as The Galen DeGraf Trio, filled the small room up with an informal jam session. On this exceptionally rainy weekend night, fans of both the band and the cuisine crowded in despite the miserable forecast.

The members of Waterwheel, who will be delighting diners every Friday from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., have performed at Café Ology since its opening. At the conclusion of this two-hour show, the trio received an enthusiastic reception of clapping and snapping. After the band ordered food, Windsor handed each of them a few bills to which Galen DeGraf ’09, the band’s drummer, replied, “We should be paying you.”

Unlike most student hangouts, Café Ology also draws in the Middletown crowd. Lunches are usually filled with a downtown majority while students file in from dinner onward.

“High Rise is right next door, so if you have nothing to do on a Friday night, you come here, get a pizza and listen to jazz,” said Sarah Ashkin ’11.

This hot spot fulfills the needs of local residents and the student body, including many of its performers.

“Café Ology is definitely filling the bohemian void,” said Zach Rosen ’11, bassist of Waterwheel.

For students interested in the variety of beers—as the restaurant obtained a liquor license at the end of last semester—a dozen flavors of neon soda, the irreverent trivia and board games, or a student’s handmade soap, Café Ology provides a home for everyone among its charmingly mismatched tables and comfortable couches.

With a WiFi Internet connection, Café Ology is also a prime location to study. As long as the restaurant is not crowded, Windsor encourages students to settle into a couch, throw up their feet and read for hours.

Another attractive quality of Café Ology is that unlike Neon and Marco’s Delis, it accepts Middletown Cash, which saves a trip to the ATM.

Last year, a number of students pushed for a petition to put the restaurant on the points system, which was unsuccessful. Windsor was more than happy about the suggestion, but the University did not share his enthusiasm.

Windsor is accustomed to students forgetting their WesCards or being short on money. He told a story of a boy who forgot his card after finishing a pizza and came back later that day with a $20 bill.

“We operate on an honor policy,” Windsor said.

In a new advertising approach, Windsor and the Café Ology crew will be holding a Create-A-Pizza contest in the near future for an undeclared prize, which will most likely involve free pizza.

For those who struggle to find enough time to study and wonder what Windsor’s magic secret is to doing it all, his answer is quite simple. Running on an average of five hours of sleep a night, delivering mail for nine hours a day, and then working at the restaurant until closing, the café is what keeps him invigorated.

“When I get here I feel reenergized,” Windsor said. “I just love the kids.”