Boston University students looking to grab some late-night munchies at the Star Market near West Campus will soon have to look elsewhere.
Starting Feb. 3, the Allston Star Market will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight, Sunday through Saturday, instead of the existing 24 hours a day, six days per week.
According to store manager Bob Hooker, the cause for the switch is unclear. “People keep asking about it. Everybody wants to know, but I don’t exactly know what the main reason is,” he said. “Within a couple days I’ll get an email from the main office about it and then I’ll have an answer.”
Hooker said all Star Markets in the Boston area will change to the new schedule, except for the store in the Fenway area.
“That’s the store that does the most business in the middle of the night,” he said. “A minuscule percentage of our sales takes place then.”
Hooker said he was doubtful that the Allston Star Market would lose money due to the switch, but added, “We don’t know that for certain.”
Assistant Manager David DeBiase said his store does not anticipate losing customers because of the time change.
“The majority of [early morning] business is from midnight to one,” he said. “Very little is from one o’clock on. A lot of people will just change their shopping habits.”
DeBiase downplayed the effect the new schedule would have on BU students and said students do not often shop early in the morning.
“We get a couple, I’m sure, on Friday nights,” he said.
Jaclyn Trop, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, also doubted that the new times would deter business from BU students.
“Will this actually affect rational, clear-thinking people?” she asked. “Wow, that’s a late time to shop.”
Other BU students who shop at Star Market agreed the change would have a minimal effect on their shopping schedules.
“I usually go in the afternoon,” said Gianna Gioia, a sophomore in the School of Management. “I’ll keep coming at my normal time.”
Hooker said that the workers at the Star Market will be marginally affected by the switch.
“The only thing that will be affected will be the schedules of the two late-night cashiers and the floor people,” he said.
“They’ll just come in earlier and leave earlier, so they won’t lose hours,” DeBiase said. “They’ll work basically the same shifts. The other people filling up shelves will still be here, too.”
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