The recent changes made to Wheaton’s late-night dining option, appropriately dubbed “Late Night,” have been greeted by students with an overwhelming consensus. They hate it.
In an August 2024 email sent shortly before students returned to campus, Dr. Darnell Parker, Vice President of Student Affairs, announced a series of changes to Wheaton’s dining experience. Among them was a change to Late Night’s location, offerings, and operation.
Not only would Late Night be moved from Emerson Dining Hall, a favored hub for eating and socializing among students, to the Hood Cafe in the Balfour Student Center, but thanks to the addition of new equipment, it would also feature an expanded selection of food options.
Hood Cafe, the new home of Late Night (from Wheaton College Dining Services website)
The email explained that the changes had been informed by a survey sent out the previous year by Aramark, Wheaton’s food services contractor, and the Office of Residential Life, as well as the Dining Advisory Committee, made up of Wheaton students. The stated goal of the move was to increase utilization of the space in the Balfour Hood Campus Center as well as encourage social engagement and student organization meetings.
It is hard to tell how student feedback informed the changes made specifically to Late Night considering the near-unanimous negativity with which the changes were met. The complaints range from the change in Late Night’s location and its short hours, to the online ordering system and long wait times.
Many students prefer Late Night’s old location in Emerson, which is closer to upper-campus housing where most non-first-year students live. As they were more embedded in the campus community and could compare the new Late Night experience to that of last year, these returning students have been disproportionately represented in the early outcry against the changes. Emerson is also closer to most of Wheaton’s party scene, where there is a lot of demand for late-night food options.
In the first SGA (Student Government Association) Senate meeting of the 2024 academic year on September 24, a poll was taken. Senators were asked whether they preferred Late Night in Emerson or Balfour. The result was unanimous in favor of Emerson.
Late Night’s hours of operation have also been subject to complaints. With Chase Dining Hall closing at 9:00 pm and the sparsity of food options in Norton, there are not a lot of choices for students to get food after a late night of studying or partying. Open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00 pm to 1:00 pm, some have pointed out that the hours, late as they may be, do not line up with how late students are up. Class of 2028 Chair Jhon Adames pointed this out saying, “Late night isn’t really late night. It starts too early and ends too early. Most students are up later than that and that’s when they need to eat.”
A Late Night cook spoke to The Wire about these issues under the condition of anonymity, saying that they prefer the new location in the Hood Cafe because the space is easier to work in and clean up efficiently. They said that because it takes less time to clean up the space, they would be willing to work longer if Late Night remained in the new space.
Hood Cafe seating area to be revitalized by Late Night (from Deren Sozer)
Another common complaint from students about Late Night is the long wait for their food after they place their online order. With only two people working in the kitchen, it is hardly surprising that there is a wait for the food. In the first few weeks of the semester, the wait could reach an hour or more. Students were also frustrated with the mobile ordering app which is used for online orders across campus dining facilities. Incorrect wait times and failing to notify students when their orders were ready were the primary complaints.
Late Night’s current mode of operations has also drawn the attention of SGA’s Sustainability Board, which has concerns about the waste produced by the exclusively takeout-oriented dining option. Sustainability Board Chair Jacqueline Modugno said, “After implementing reusable takeout containers the amount of single-use plastics for Late Night feels counterintuitive and I’d like to see that change, for the sake of the environment and the dining atmosphere in Late Night.” It remains to be seen whether Wheaton’s stated plan to expand the use of reusable takeout containers pending the program’s success in Chase Dining Hall will be extended to Late Night.
The wide discontent among students with Late Night and the rest of Dining Services, including a particular dissatisfaction with the declining standards in Chase, has reached the ears of SGA. Vice President Ellie Consolvo said in a statement to the Wire, “The Core Four and administration are currently looking into and addressing several concerns about dining and late night.”