For Penn students looking for a social scene during finals, Mark’s Cafe is now hosting late-nights.
In partnership with the Undergraduate Assembly, the Van Pelt Library and Bon Appetit at Penn Dining have extended the business hours of Mark’s Cafe in Van Pelt. The initiative, which was implemented on Dec. 6, will last through finals. As a result, Mark’s will be open until 2 a.m., seven days a week.
Prior to this project, Mark’s was closed at midnight Sunday through Thursday and at 5 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Mark’s Cafe has also added new options to its late-night menu, including Fiddle Stix, sweet and savory baked-in-house pretzels for a dollar and a free extra shot of espresso in coffee beverages.
According to Business Services Director of Communications and External Relations Barbara Lea-Kruger, Mark’s also has plans to introduce “speciality hot dogs with a variety of toppings such as house made chili or slaw and jalapenos.” Kruger said that the specific date for the “hot dog introduction” has not yet been announced.
“It’s really nice that Mark’s is open late night,” College sophomore Graham Ober said. “It’s really convenient because if students are hungry at one in the morning and don’t want to leave the library, they can just go downstairs and pick up a snack.”
Like Ober, Wharton sophomore Andrew Dunn thinks the new options are “great.”
“If I actually wanted to, I could eat all three meals in Van Pelt and still get all of my studying done,” he said.
Lea-Kruger added that in addition to the new late-night pilot program at Mark’s Cafe, Bon Appetit will also keep various other dining venues on campus open during finals as part of this semester’s “Fuel for Finals” promotion.
The promotion will include hot breakfast at the Burger Stop at 1920s Commons from 9 p.m. to midnight starting Friday, Dec. 17. The Burger Stop will be offering eggs, omelets, “1920s Big House Big Stack of Pancakes,” French toast sticks, Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, tater tots, latkes, bacon and sausage, cinnamon rolls and donuts.
Lea-Kruger added that Starbucks at Commons will be open until midnight.
Einstein Brother’s Bagels will be hosting the Red Bull Energy Break, which will last from Monday, Dec. 14 through Thursday, Dec. 17. During this time, Einstein will be open between 3 p.m. and midnight and students will be able to “unwind with Wii video games, plasma TV’s as well as the usual menu items,” Lea-Kruger said.
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