Penn’s late-night food scene has changed dramatically this semester, prompting varied reactions from students who value both the convenience and variety of late-night options.
Students’ late-night food options have experienced the most drastic change in recent memory during the past two months. Allegro Pizza and Grill — previously an extremely popular dining spot after parties or other nighttime activities — eliminated its late-night hours in September, and a renovated McDonald’s reopened on the edge of campus to immediate popularity.
Allegro, which was previously open until 3 a.m., now closes at midnight daily — a change which a source familiar to the pizzeria attributed to staffing issues.
College sophomore Irene Lee said that she “really misses Allegro staying open late.” She noted that she now gravitates towards Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers for its flavor, which she takes into consideration over convenience and affordability.
Despite the change, Lee felt that the variety of late-night food options has changed for the better recently with the addition of McDonald’s near campus.
College junior Charlotte Davey expressed similar disappointment over Allegro’s new hours, saying that she used to visit the pizzeria due to its convenient hours. Davey, who frequently studies at night, said that she “kinda needs the late-night options” and “would not complain if there were more healthy options around.”
A former Allegro employee wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that returning to late-night hours was “briefly considered” around the second week of September, but these considerations were ultimately dismissed. They said they would be “quite surprised to hear that anyone was seriously entertaining a return to late nights at this point.”
In Allegro’s absence, McDonald’s — which reopened in October and is located at 40th and Walnut streets — has quickly become a new option for late-night diners. McDonald’s owner-operator Ryan Doane noted to the DP that the restaurant often serves as a gathering spot for students after late-night outings.
A number of students who spoke with the DP highlighted the convenience of the fast-food joint, which is open 24/7. Lee said that the chain was “really easy” and “accessible,” particularly noting the variety of “different food items” available on the menu.
While Wharton sophomore Katherine Wu called McDonald’s reopening “pretty big,” she added that she had not observed any major changes in the campus’ late-night food atmosphere.
“We go [to McDonald’s] a lot, more so than [Raising] Cane’s and Allegro when it’s late at night,” Wu said.
Engineering senior Austin Wang also said that he frequents McDonald’s, praising the joint’s social offerings.
“It’s easier to talk to friends at McDonald’s, and it’s close to the Radian, where I live,” Wang said. “McDonald’s encourages more people to go out at night. After 9 p.m., people just get hungry, so they go out.”
While the students generally spoke positively of McDonald’s reintroduction to the Penn community, several — including Wu, College junior Simeon Paek, and College junior Sebastian Pizarro — expressed concern over the healthiness of the remaining late-night options, detailing a desire for greater variety and healthier choices in the late-night food scene.
Paek highlighted convenience, affordability, and “centralized” location as important factors when deciding where to eat late at night, but he said that there is currently “not enough variety.” He expressed a desire for more options around campus beyond McDonald’s, Raising Cane’s, and Wawa, calling the current selection “all unhealthy.”
“Everyone on that side of campus will go to McDonald’s, and everyone on the other side of campus will go to Wawa,” Paek said. “And then a lot more people are ordering food, so prices are going up for delivery.”
Pizarro also said that “the 24/7 options — McDonald’s and Wawa — aren’t the healthiest,” noting that he “would have liked to see something else open, maybe something healthier.”
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