Boston University’s Bay State Underground, Late Night at West Campus and the Law School Cafe dining options have closed this semester, according to an email sent to students by ReusePass on Aug. 28.
The email stated students can also no longer return Choose to Reuse containers at these locations.
BU Dining Services has not yet released an official statement addressing the closures, but they are no longer dining options for students on Grubhub.
These removals follow the elimination of late-night options at The Fenway Campus Center Dining Room and Fresh Food Co. at Warren Towers before the 2024 fall semester. Students’ on campus dining options after 10 p.m. are now limited to Canes Chicken in West Campus and Fuller’s Pub in Central campus, which are both open until 11 p.m.
Junior Ella Mackinson said these alternate dining options were an important part of campus culture.
“I definitely think it was a space where you could go with friends or study groups to hang out at night,” Mackinson said. “I think it helped build community in that sense on campus, so it will be interesting to see how it is without [them].”
Sophomore Ana Savitt said Bay State Underground served as a valuable hangout space for her friend group.
“It was like a little bit of a home base, so we were not very happy about it,” she said. “We were really surprised because we felt like it’s really popular.”
Senior Rayan Syed, who worked at Warren’s late-night services for over three semesters, said he is disappointed with the decision.
“I think in general it was a nice place for students to convene, depending on where they lived on campus,” Syed said.
Bay State Underground served other purposes for students, like Mackinson, as well.
“It was a very lively space,” she said. “If I had exams to study for, it was very motivating, or sometimes my schedule would be busy, and I wouldn’t have a chance to really eat during normal dining hall hours. Having that as a late-night option was convenient.”
While BU’s campus has other popular options for late-night dining, they do not take BU dining points. Savitt said her friends will likely hang out at El Jefe’s Tacqueria instead, but spending her own money is not ideal.
“Students are going to have their cravings, whether Bay State Underground is there or not,” Savitt said. “Then they’re going to end up just spending their physical money when they prepaid for dining points.”
Syed said the closures may also affect student employees.
“Some people did not have availability to work during morning hours, so those late-night hours were perfect,” Syed said. “The lack of positions that offer those late-night hours now is not great.”
Savvit was disappointed with BU’s lack of communication about the late night closures.
“I heard about Bay State Underground closing from the Choose to Reuse program sending out an email saying that it was closed, which I was kind of upset about because it wasn’t even official communication from BU,” Savvit said.
Likewise, Syed noted there was no communication from BU Dining Services regarding the closure of Late Night at Warren Towers last fall.
“People just found out after the semester started,” Syed said, referring to the changes to Warren’s late-night services. “I was intending on continuing working there so it was kind of a bummer.”
