Although pleased with the menu of the new Burger King, many students are unhappy with the revised hours of other campus eateries.
Because Burger King will be open late and on weekends, the Rathskeller will close earlier during the week and completely on Saturday and Sunday, a major change from past years.
Last semester, the Rathskeller was the late-night dining establishment in the Bryan Center since it was open until 1 a.m every night. This semester the Burger King will take its place and be open until midnight every night. The Rat will close at 9 p.m. during the week.
Some students are displeased with the change in eatery hours.
"Maybe they should have asked the students before they assumed," said Trinity sophomore Josh Brown. "The Rat is where students from East and West hang out."
Students will still be able to socialize, eat and watch television in the Rat, as both Licks and the seating area will remain open until midnight.
In the past, the University could only afford to keep one dining establishment open on weekend nights, said Wes Newman, director of dining and special events. After consulting with student leaders, the decision was made to open the Burger King on weekends instead of the Rat, he said.
"We had to make a business decision," Newman said. Weekends are usually slow because many students go off campus for meals, he said.
Student leaders were informed of the proposal this summer, Newman said. He took the idea to representatives of Duke Student Government and members of the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee.
"We talked to DUSDAC as much as we could in the summer," Newman said. Dining and Special Events had to take statistics from past years and determine what would be best for the University, Newman said.
Both the Rat and Burger King could open on Saturday if enough students eat on campus during the weekend. The decision would have to be financially justified, he said.
A complete reversal--closing the Burger King and opening the Rat--will not happen because of the success of the Burger King in its first weekend, he said.
"The Burger King is doing a tremendous business," Newman said. "There is no way we will close the Burger King on weekends."
DSG President Paul Hudson, a Trinity senior, said if the students want to see a change, it may be possible. "We'll see how it goes and then change later on," he said.
Many would like to see that change.
"I think they should switch it and have the Rat open late and have Burger King close early," said Trinity sophomore Mike Epstein.
Weekend breakfast hours are another concern. The Burger King was the only place open for breakfast on Saturday.
Hudson said due to negative feedback from students, the University Room may soon be open for Saturday breakfast, as it was in the past, instead of Burger King.
"I think it is important to have something other than Burger King for breakfast [on Saturdays]," Hudson said. He said his goal is to have another breakfast option by this weekend.
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