Night owls looking to satisfy their late-night cravings will soon be able to head to the Commons for a sandwich or a helping of fries.
The campus center eatery is extending its weekend hours to stay open until 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The extended timetable will take effect next Thursday.
The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate encouraged Dining Services to give students a late-night food option with a variety of choices, said Director of Dining Services Patti Klos.
Sophomore C.J. Mourning, the TCU senator who chairs the Services Committee, said that students have been waiting for a place on campus to get together and eat. "Students were complaining about not having places to go on campus, about there not being a social life on campus," she said.
"Student demand is what precipitated this change," Klos added. The move resulted from "what we hear from students, what we hear from surveys [and] what the Senate has told us."
Students can currently buy from on-campus food stops as late as 1 a.m., but their selection is restricted. "The Tower [Café] is open until 1 a.m., but we know that the menu is very limited," she said. "Brown and Brew is open until 1 a.m., but that menu is limited."
But the Commons, which has historically closed at 12 a.m. every night, offers a wider variety of food. And its fare is more attuned to the desires of late-night consumers, Klos said.
"[The Commons] has the kind of food that we feel like they want ... Hamburger, a wrap, chicken wings."
Turo Rigorda Eva, manager of the Commons, said that while on the job he had noticed student desire to have the eatery stay open later.
"There was some interest expressed from students [in having extended hours] as well as just having a location for students to go for late night so they don't have to venture out," he said.
The seating areas outside the Commons and inside the newly renovated Hotung Café will also stay open late on weekends.
Klos said that she has been working with the Office of Student Activities to keep the lower level open while securing the upper level.
Students seem optimistic about the new change. "I think that's really good, because Dewick closes really early, and without Pizza Days and Domino's on points, there aren't many late-night options," sophomore Cobin Dopkeen said.
"I think it might foster a better social scene," junior Nathan Tanaka added. "There's not very much of a central place to hang out late at night."
Eva said that there will be more upcoming changes for the Commons, including future renovations. "This is just the start of it," he said. "We have some actual physical changes that are coming up."
Dining Services had to hire more workers in order to enact the new hours.
"We hired a few additional personnel to give us the right type of employees at that time of night," Klos said. "I'm hoping that students will take advantage of us." As long as students use and express interest in the new late night hours, "the cost won't be an issue," she added.
During the extended hours, a cashier station will be placed at the entrance to the "horseshoe," the area where students order and pick up their sandwiches. Students will step in and out of the horseshoe via the entrance, since the salad bar and drink-cooler area adjacent to the Commons will be closed. The campus center's two upper levels will also be off-limits.
Both Klos and Eva are looking forward to the hours extension. "We're all anxious after the first weekend of events to see: How did it go? What did people say?" Klos said. "We're excited about the potential for growth here late at night," Eva added.
Giovanni Russonello contributed reporting to this article.
