The Lumberjack

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Campus

Media Credit: Elizabeth Hilbig

Jeremy Endsley eats at The Depot almost daily. Some nights he studies in the library until it closes. Now that he knows The Depot is open later, he might get something to eat while he is studying.

The Depot, in the University Center, has extended its hours of operation to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The Depot will be closing at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays.

The hours of operation on Saturday and Sunday are noon to 4 p.m.

The current menu includes pizza and snack items, but plans are being made to offer sandwiches and breakfast. Fresh espresso and cold beer are on the menu as well.

The Depot manager, Eddie Aguilar, said students are the reason for the change.

"Students are looking for more than just snacks after hours," Aguilar said.

Aguilar spent the summer mulling over the idea of extended hours and received positive feedback from his peers at other schools who had extended their dining service hours. Humboldt State Dining Services gives Aguilar a lot of freedom in how he operates The Depot. He made the decision to go ahead and try the extended schedule to see if students would be receptive to the new hours.

It is too soon to tell what the student response is, he said.

Laura McNaughton, senior and communications major, is working in The Depot for the first time this semester.

"Business is really slow right now," she said. "Hopefully it will pick up after students become more aware of the [extended hours]."

One way that Depot employees hope to encourage more business is by posting flyers in the dorms as well as in and around The Depot itself.

Senior Adam Wolters, political science major, and Endsley, a senior biology major, were eating lunch in The Depot and both said they were not aware of the extended hours.

"I live off-campus," Wolters said, "and I usually get pretty burnt out by 5 p.m. I just go home."

Endsley suggested that Depot employees might be better off putting the new hours on the sandwich board that sits outside The Depot, instead of putting up flyers in the dorms. Then, the new hours could be seen by dorm residents on their way to class.

"It would be a waste of paper to make all those flyers when they could just put a new banner on the sandwich board," Endsley said.

With the extended hours now in place, students no longer have to leave campus in order to find somewhere to get a mocha, eat, study or just hang out with friends and play a game of pool.

Stephanie Griel, senior globalization major, has worked in The Depot for two years. Students can save money on their coffee purchases if they bring their own cup, she said.

"If all they're getting is coffee, they won't even have to stand in line," Griel said, "They just put a dollar in the box on the counter and help themselves."

The Depot is now using compost-able coffee cups for their customers that don't bring their own cups. The Depot uses all organic milk products too, McNaughton said.

One thing that could get Wolters to eat at The Depot more, even at later hours, would be if they served organic, free-range food that is locally grown, he said.

"Hell, I'd even pay more if they did," Wolters said.

Natalie Landreneaux can be contacted at nml20@humboldt.edu

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