A Market-Driven Approach

When it comes to late-night dining, many schools are bringing venues to the students rather than taking an “if you build it they will come” approach. Consider Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, which has 11 dining options for 1,800 students. Those that perform poorly are closed and replaced with new ones.

In 2004 the school opened a library café, which is open until midnight. “Turns out the library—believe it or not—is a place where they hang out,” says Gene Castelli, regional manager for Chartwells, the school’s foodservice provider. “It’s been very popular with the kids.”

While the library is a logical spot for a study break, it’s not the only one. Crossroads, a pizza-deli pub at Holy Cross, is a favorite for students looking to relax. “You’ll see packs straggle in throughout the evening,” Nardella says.

Many schools decide to reach students where they live. Although Binghamton’s residence communities all have dining halls, the Night Owl Cafés, open from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., five nights a week, are each separate units. Sales have increased about 9 to 12 percent each year, Griffin says.

At Temple, the Louis J. Esposito Dining Center at Johnson and Hardwick Hall, which is undergoing an expansion, has the most late-night options, Kelly says. Ohio Wesleyan University installed a Trattoria Pizza in Welch Hall. Open until midnight, it offers pizzas, subs, and sandwiches for pickup and delivery.

In 2005, Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, opened the Harrison Grille in Harrison Hall. The late-night eatery, which is open until 1 a.m., has since become popular with students. Then in 2006 Purdue further expanded its late-night dining options by opening the Cary Knight Spot Grill, located in the university’s largest residence hall.

The name pays tribute to a sculpture of a knight, which has long lived at the residence hall. But it’s also a play on the words “night spot.” By any other name, its sales have been sweet. Between the 2006–2007 academic year and the 2007–2008 academic year, sales increased 40 percent, says Sarah Johnson, director of dining services for university residences.

Late-night options aren’t confined to eateries. At Binghamton’s convenience store, students can select from grilled foods and to-go foods as well as chips and sodas. Ohio Wesleyan’s store, which Castelli calls a “convenience store on steroids,” is open until 1 a.m. The shop, which accounts for up to 25 percent of overall food sales, is ideal for students who want to microwave a frozen snack in their room.

Late-Night Indulgences

Ohio Wesleyan’s convenience store is well stocked with organic products. Other late-night options include vegetarian cuisine, composed salads, humus, and pita products.

That’s not to say students don’t give into cravings. Frozen T.G.I. Friday’s items are big sellers at night, Castelli says. Griffin’s experience at Binghamton has been similar. “I know the national trends are for healthier foods. Late-night daypart—I don’t see it,” he says. “Chicken fingers are huge on this campus.”

They’re equally popular at Holy Cross, where chicken fingers and fries, chicken finger subs, and chicken parmesan subs are top sellers at Crossroads’s kitchen. “They just can’t get enough of them,” Nardella says of the chicken finger subs. At both schools, burgers, fries, and cheesesteaks are also top sellers.

Students also like ice cream as much as they do grilled and fried foods. At Purdue’s Harrison Grille, students love milkshakes made with Edy’s Ice Cream, Johnson says. Although the Cary Knight Spot Grill uses a soft-serve mix, its milkshakes also do well.

Locations that serve Starbucks or similar specialty drinks are especially popular with students. Holy Cross’ late-night venue, Cool Beans, sells smoothies, bagels, muffins, and coffee. The Freshens on the Binghamton campus does such a brisk business that it is doubling in size.

Not surprisingly, most campuses offer pizza—two of the five late-night locations at Binghamton serve pizza. Sales, however, are off. The busiest site sells about 125 to 150 slices a night. “It’s not bad, but it’s not the volume I would have expected,” Griffin says. He credits the fact that other foods are better suited to grab-and-go.

Perhaps that is why pizza rolls are popular. The finger-friendly food stemmed from a student request. “If a community says it’s what they want, nine out of 10 times, we can do it for them,” Griffin says. “If it is not selling, we get rid of it. It’s that simple.”