According to local business managers, students who are still hungry after the operating hours of SIU dining halls buy food frantically during the weekends.

Guillermo Ortega, a manager at Don Taco on Grand Avenue, said there is a 25 to 30 percent increase in deliveries on the weekends, and in-store sales increase as well.

Noel Gomez, another Don Taco manager, says two extra people are staffed to prepare for the weekend food rush.

Gomez said most of their orders come from Brush Towers and Thompson Point late at night.

“About 75 percent of all of our deliveries on the weekend are made after midnight,” Gomez said.

University housing expanded dining hours beginning in fall 2014 to offer later evening hours, according to an email from Crystal K. Bouhl, assistant director of marketing for university housing.

“We are open until 11 p.m. on most evenings in Trueblood and until 9 p.m. at Lentz,” Bouhl said. “The dining halls close at [7 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively] on Fridays and Saturdays due to the historically lower demand for late evening hours on weekends.”

Charles Penhaligen, a freshman from Louisville studying mass communications, said the hours of Lentz are inconvenient for him.

“I live on west campus and it is unfair that Trueblood is open later than Lentz. Lentz closing at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday has forced me to spend more than I would have like to on food,” Penhaligen said.

Micaela O’Connor, a freshman from Polo studying liberal arts, also said she spent more money on food during the weekends because of the dining halls’ hours.

Ryan You, an employee at China Wok, said Friday and Saturday are the most profitable days.

“There is about a $200 increase on each individual day in the weekend compared to weekdays,” You said.

Hanna Netisingha, a freshman from Carol Stream and member of the women’s golf team, says she is also unsatisfied with the opening hours of the dining halls.

“The worst part about the dining halls is that they open late on the weekends. I would have practice at 7 or 8 a.m. but would have nothing to eat because the dining halls would not be open yet,” said Netisingha, who is studying zoology.

Bouhl said the Saluki Anytime dining plan allows students to eat in either dining hall as often as they want when they are open.

The Saluki Anytime dining plan is included in the cost of room and board, and is $4,874 per semester for a double or triple room. Room and board is $6,474 per semester to live in a single room. Students who live in on-campus apartments or off campus can purchase the plan for $2,047 per semester, according to the online housing portal contract.

Housing also offers a Block-20 meal plan, which allows students to purchase 20 meals for $180.

Several other campuses’ dining halls open earlier on weekends than SIU’s, but few stay open as late as Trueblood.

SIU-Edwardsville’s Center Court dining hall opens half an hour earlier on Saturday and Sunday than Carbondale’s.

Illinois State University’s dining centers open two hours earlier on Friday and Saturday, and Murray State’s dining halls open three hours earlier on Saturday and Sunday.

Western Illinois University has pizza and wing pickup from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m every day.

Eastern Illinois University offers late night pizza from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Bouhl said students with suggestions are encouraged to provide feedback to their Residence Hall Association representative or online at housing.siu.edu/feedback.

Tre Knight can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @TreKnight_DE.