Drumroll, please.

That was what Mayor Thomas M. Menino provided when Suffolk University President James McCarthy stepped up to the microphone at the opening celebration for the Back Deck restaurant in a campus building on West Street.

Menino delighted the crowd gathered for the block party marking the restaurant’s opening by joining the band and displaying his drumming skills, including a crescendo for the president.

“It was a fun and exciting event,” said Brad Fredericks, majority owner of Back Deck, which features “professional backyard grilling.”

Suffolk University’s move into Downtown Boston, where the University has residence halls and a theater, has helped in the area’s revitalization.

Building momentum downtown 

“There is great momentum right now in Downtown Crossing, and we hope that continues with the opening of our restaurant,” said Fredericks.

When the University first broached the idea of developing 10 West St. as a residence hall, Menino and the Boston Redevelopment Authority insisted that a street-level restaurant be part of the plan, according to John Nucci, vice president of Government & Community Affairs at Suffolk.

“As we can see, that was a very wise decision,” said Nucci. “Suffolk worked closely with the businesses and residents in the area to develop a restaurant opportunity that would continue to breathe new life into what has become one of the most vibrant blocks in Boston's downtown.”

The building also houses a coffee shop, Boston Common Coffee.