Commuter cafeteria hours have changed this year to close at an earlier time due to the opening of the 24-hour Dunkin' Donuts, and hungry Seton Hall students are starting to take notice.
The commuter caf is open until 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 5 p.m. on Friday. It's closed on the weekends. Previously the caf has been open until 1 a.m. until the change this fall due to the 24-hour Dunkin' Donuts.
"I am a commuter, so it's a pain when there's no food," sophomore Catherine Touhill said.
According to Touhill, the change has made it more difficult to get specific food she wants at places such as Pirate Express where there are many wrapped options to grab on the go, whereas Dunkin' offers mostly breakfast food options.
Gourmet Dining services controls all food service on campus, including Dunkin' Donuts, but students with late-night cravings have been missing options besides just breakfast past 11 p.m.
"Personally I feel that a lot of the Dunkin' Donuts stuff is a very small menu and focused on a lot of breakfast food," sophomore Nicole Pachner said.
Other students don't mind the change at all, especially those who never experienced the old schedule.
"I don't really care (about the change). I'm kind of used to it because I'm a freshman," student John McLaughlin said.
Other students said they have a new issue to bring up with cafeteria hours. The Dining room closes earlier than most of the commuter cafeteria at 7:45 p.m. after dinner and 8:30 p.m. late hours. Some students would like later hours for this dining area especially because Pirate Bucks are spent fast on late night cravings.
"Not everyone has a lot of Pirate Bucks," freshman Johnny Toncoso said, adding that he would not approve of the new hours "unless Dunkin Donuts had a way to use meal plan swipes."
Simply put, "You need other options on campus," Pachner said.
Her friends have also noticed the change this year, losing interest in donuts and breakfast sandwiches for a late-night snack.
The Cove is also a popular option on campus, although it's not open 24 hours, it is open until 1 a.m. It offers a wide array of soups, sandwiches, salads, paninis and coffee beverages.
The official website for Gourmet Dining with all food service hours is: http://www.gourmetdiningllc.com/campus/shu/index.php.
Any information can be confirmed on this website.
Mary Marshall can be reached at mary.marshall@student.shu.edu.
