A house at 910 New Hampshire Ave., dubbed the “7-Eleven house” by GW students because of the 7-Eleven store next door, is now home to five members of the unrecognized Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.

Long known on campus as a top spot for keg parties open to students for a few dollars at the door, the house’s new residents said they have different plans for how the house will run.

Sophomores Stu Katz, Eric Richheimer, Eric Smookler, Matt Paley and Jared Zimmel are the new residents of the three-story town house.

“The owner was a bit skeptical to rent it out to more college kids after the mess the past residents left behind,” Zimmel said. “So we promised to put some work into it and make it nicer.”

Katz, the fraternity’s president, said while the house is not an official fraternity house, it has served as a venue for rush activities.

GW students have inhabited the house since before 1998, when current seniors came to campus.

Katz said he and his housemates were overwhelmed by the turnout for their first party of the school year during the first week of school. He said the “following” the house has surprised him.

The fraternity will attempt to control future parties, Zeta Beta Tau members said.

“We are not going to meet this house’s hype of the past,” Richheimer said.

Richheimer said he likes smaller parties because there is smaller chance of theft.

“We have more fun when we know who’s coming to parties that are under more control,” Katz said.

The house has undergone a transformation with new carpeting and
newly painted walls. Workers began repainting the outside of the house the same off-white color as the neighboring 7-Eleven last week.

Richheimer said the fraternity members took out a one-year lease on the property Aug. 1 with an option for a second year.

Students and others still loiter outside the house despite the new owners, Richheimer said.

Senior Sharf Emdad, who lived in the house last year, was disappointed to hear of the planned changes.

“Those new guys should keep the tradition going,” Emdad said. “I still miss it because of its location and name.”

Emdad said he and his four former housemates could not live in the 7-Eleven house anymore because one of them was unable to pay rent.

Katz said he considers the new house and 24-member fall pledge class, the largest of all Greek-letter organizations, a positive start for Zeta Beta Tau at GW.