Last week it was announced that Chuck and Augie’s may be leaving the University of Connecticut’s Student Union. (Amar Batra/The Daily Campus)
As many of us learned last week, UConn restaurant Chuck and Augie’s may be closing its doors. While this may not have been expected by all, the possible departure of the eatery is one that may have been inevitable. Either way, while the impending closure may be upsetting for students who spend all of their leftover points at the end of the semester at this Student Union staple, there are other pros and cons that come along with this decision.
While Chuck and Augie’s is well known around campus, it is not frequented as often as other restaurants and food options at UConn. One of the reasons for this could be due to Chuck and Augie’s unusual hours. Not only is this restaurant only open Monday through Friday, it also has very limited hours during the day, only staying open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Despite these hours, one of the big draws to Chuck and Augie’s is the fact students can pay for their meals using points on the meal plan. However, this option is only available after 3 p.m., which serves to limit the number one reason that students might have to visit the restaurant. While Chuck and Augie’s is one of the only real sit-down restaurants on campus, their unusual hours and policies make it unsurprising that they may be shutting down business in order to make room for other competitors.
Dining Services is obviously a large operation on campus, overseeing all eight dining halls, the cafes and the Union Street Market, are just some of their responsibilities. While the Chuck and Augie’s may be a large part of UConn, shutting down this operation would allow Dining Services to spend more time focusing on other their other locations. According to UConn spokesperson, Stephanie Reitz, Dining Services serves a total of over 5.8 million meals per year at all of its locations, and while closing Chuck and Augie’s may mean shutting down one of these locations, this change could benefit Dining Services in the long run. While it would obviously be favorable to have this dining option available to students, it may make Dining Services as a whole run even more smoothly, seeing as they would have more time to dedicate to their other endeavors.
While many students are obviously upset at the possibility of Chuck and Augie’s closing its doors for good, this may be a decision that improves the university. Though many don’t want to see the restaurant go, it is important to realize this decision does not come easily and there are more factors to consider besides solely what the students want. This change could help Dining Services in the long-run and allow for more improvements to be made where they may have been overlooked before. It may be sad to see this dining option go, but we should try to welcome these changes and remember that behind Chuck and Augie’s possible departure is another new option waiting to take its place.