Campus restaurants shorten hours for summer

While+it+started+off+as+a+food+truck%2C+Cracked+opened+its+first+permanent+location+this+spring.+The+truck+parks+near+the+Engineering+Quad+in+the+morning+so+you+can+grab+that+pre-exam+fuel.

Jessica Bursztynsky

While it started off as a food truck, Cracked opened its first permanent location this spring. The truck parks near the Engineering Quad in the morning so you can grab that pre-exam fuel.

By Taylor Wegner, Staff Writer

Restaurants and stores on campus are accommodating for decreased activity during the summer months by operating under reduced hours, as the majority of the student body travels away from the University. 

Because these variations in many establishments’ hours of operation can be a source of confusion for those who decide to remain on campus, and others who come back occasionally to visit, here is a list of the decreased summer hours for many popular restaurants and stores on Green St.

McDonald’s, which operates 24/7, seven days a week throughout the fall and spring semesters, has relatively limited hours during the summer. From Monday to Wednesday they are open from 8:00 A.M. to midnight, from Thursday to Saturday 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M., and on Sunday 10:00 A.M. to midnight.

Which Wich Superior Sandwiches is open from 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. daily.

Azzip Pizza’s hours of operation are from 11:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. Sunday through Saturday.

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Many restaurants open at their usual time, but close early. For instance, Starbucks employee Derec Mckinley explained how the cafe “closes two hours early at 9:00 P.M. everyday.”

Potbelly, too, opens at their regular time but closes two hours early at 9:00 P.M. everyday.

Ragstock is open from 10:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M. from Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday.

Zorba’s opens at 11:00 A.M. as usual, but closes at 8 or 8:30 P.M., depending on how slow the night is.

Dunkin’ Donuts opens at the usual hour of 5:30 A.M., but closes three hours early everyday at 7:00 P.M.

Panera Bread operates from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Monday to Friday, and 8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday.

Sakanaya is open from 11:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. every day of the week. The restaurant resumes operation after a lunch break from 5:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Sunday to Thursday, and 5:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. on Friday and Saturday.

Walgreens opens at 8:00 A.M. and closes at 9:00 P.M. from Monday to Saturday. Sunday’s hours are from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Murphy’s Pub, open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., accommodates for reduced customer visits by being half staffed. Murphy’s manager Margaret Whalan, said the bar still stays busy on a few nights a week. 

“It gets pretty busy on Thursday. Pretty much from Thursday to Saturday,” Whalan said. “We have some really good drink deals throughout the weekend, so people like to come in and we stay busy.”

However, many establishments retain their usual hours of operation, as listed on their websites, throughout the summer, including Chipotle, Maize, Neutral Cycle, Spoon House, Cracked, Urban Outfitters and Legends.

Still, some of these establishments are prone to close early if business proves to be slow during the day.

The Maize location on Green St. is currently closed due to the construction. Maize manager Sophie Bui explained that “because of the construction, there’s really no way to access the restaurant.” She followed by stating that the project manager of the construction “told us two weeks, but we’re pretty much in the dark about the city construction.”

However, in the meantime, their new downtown Champaign location on Chestnut St. operates according to regular hours. “It’s right by the train station, so still pretty accessible to students,” Bui said. 

Pizza Hut operates under regular hours from Sunday to Thursday, but closes an hour early at 11:00 P.M. on Friday and Saturday.

Jimmy John’s is open from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M, but employee Andrew Merkley said the store has had a decrease in activity.

“So far, it (business) has been pretty slow, but when classes begin it should pick back up,” Merkley said. 

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