Bottom feeding: Carolina Union Student Dining Services should offer late night dining option

According to a preliminary report the bottom floor of the Student Union might soon be renovated to introduce late-night dining.

We fully back this idea and encourage Student Dining Services and the Carolina Union to agree on a plan to bring a late-night dining facility to the Union.

There is not enough late-night dining on campus. Currently Rams Head Market and Rams Head Starbucks are open until midnight Monday through Thursday and Sunday. And the Pit Stop is also open until 11:30 p.m. on weekdays.

 But Alpine Bagel is the only on-campus dining option open after midnight any day of the week. And even it closes at 1 a.m. Monday through Friday and Sunday.

Nothing against Alpine but sometimes bagels just get old.

The basement of the Union should provide more variety. Alpine already offers healthy choices like sandwiches and salads so a new dining facility should offer multiple options like burgers" pizza and even dessert in the basement.

There's no word yet as to how late ""late-night"" means. We hope it means until at least 2 a.m. Many students stay up late during the week studying and would appreciate on-campus dining options to accommodate their schedules.

Eight miles down the road" The Loop is open until 2 a.m. seven days a week on Duke University's campus. The Duke Union also has a coffee house open until 2 a.m. every day.

Duke campus dining offers a 24-hour McDonald's. Currently the only on campus dining available 24 hours at UNC are vending machines.

Extending late-night dining options on campus would make it safer and more convenient for students to get food late at night if they can remain within the confines of a well-lit campus.

We want the Union to be a fun casual place with a student-focused atmosphere. Late-night dining is one step closer to this goal.