Students can get their coffee fix during study time: Starbucks is open later into the evening.

Starbucks is now open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Initially, the store was open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. New hours began after fall break.

“We had some requests for it, so we figured we’d give it a try,” said retail manager Donna Walker

Reception to the later hours has been fair, said Walker. She is evaluating whether later hours will continue.

“We will be reevaluating over Thanksgiving break,” said Walker. “We’ll look at our numbers to see if the sales are there.”

If the sales meet expectations, extended hours will remain, she said. If not, the store will return to ts original hours.

“I feel that’s fair,” said junior social work major, Christine Ward, “to do trial and error. I personally don’t use Starbucks a lot, so I’m not effected, but I could see it being frustrating if you don’t have a car, or can’t get off campus to get coffee or anything, and then [Starbucks] is closed. If you need that later in the night boost, you don’t have it.”

Ward said she understands the trial hours, but she feels for the students who would miss out on later night coffee if sales fall short.

The general reaction among students ais positive, particularly among those who have night classes and  study later.

“I feel really excited about it,” said junior English and communications major, Zoe Laporte, “because now I can get coffee later, and you know, sometimes I would try to go at like, 6 p.m., for that after dinner pick me up, and it would be closed, and I’d be so sad. But now I can still get coffee at like 6 p.m., which is amazing, and I’m so happy.”

Breann Hunsinger, a psychology and pre-DPT student, is equally happy about extended hours.

“I think it’s amazing because I thought it just closed at like, three o’clock, because I don’t have time until after five to go check,” Hunsinger said. ” So I’m glad now that when I get out of later classes, I can go get some caffeine to get through the night.

Walker recalled the late hours the store once offered during finals week –  open until 2 a.m.

“We didn’t see anyone after 9 p.m. So last spring semester, we offered some discounts from nine to eleven at Chick-fil-a. We were doing $2.99 milkshakes for those who needed a little bit extra sugar. And we do have the Late Night, which we will still be doing during finals week.”

The idea of later hours for finals week is appealing for students, who often stay awake  to cram for exams, finish final projects or write papers.

“I definitely think they should stay open later again because, again, if you need coffee and it’s finals, we have a lot of work and it’s nice to have that on campus,” said Ward. “And I feel like compared to other schools, we don’t have food that’s open 24/7, so I think that’s a really big issue. I think extending hours is really important even if it starts at just the coffee.”

Laporte said finals week necessitates late night coffee.

“Yes, absolutely,” said Laporte. “For hours, I would go, not something ridiculous like, 11, but I’m gonna go with maybe 9 because like if you drink coffee at 10 p.m., you’re just asking for death, so…”

Hunsinger said Starbucks should stay open later during finals week.

“Yes, it should be, because everyone is going to be busy, and they would probably get a lot of business anyway. I think probably 9 or 10 p.m. would be good enough, not like midnight or anything.”