If you’re hungry late at night during finals week, you shouldn’t grab a Snickers. Instead, Ray and Mike’s Deli will be open late to fulfill your “Irresistible” craving.
From Sunday, May 6, to Thursday, May 10, Ray and Mike’s Deli will extend its hours to 11 p.m.
This year will be the first time in 14 years that the deli will stay open until 11 p.m. during the week, according to Ray and Mike’s Deli owner Ray George.
“Based on past years, people are on different schedules come finals week,” George said. “People tend to do serious work, study and stay up late. It seems to be that our regular day of business, which is 2:30-3 to 7 p.m., is happening a little later from about 6:30 at night to about 11 p.m.”
George says he doesn’t expect the business to be too big for the first year of extended hours during finals week, but hopes that news will spread quickly through Twitter, signs in the store and by word of mouth. If business is good, George will continue the idea every semester.
“I think gradually as the years go on, it will pick up and be more well known that people know what we’re doing,” George said. “But just because [of] the strong demand last year, in a good way I’m being forced to do it. I always like to make it comfortable for customers and myself, whatever our needs are.”
Ray and Mike’s Deli attempted to fulfill the needs of its customers last Friday with its 4/20 special sandwiches, “the Gaddafi,” “Medical Marinara,” “Munchie Apocalypse,” “Irreversible” and the “#420 original burger.”
This past weekend was one of the busiest weekends of the year, thanks to the special sandwiches, according to George. He added that they might keep the 4/20 specials through this week as well.
Many students plan to take advantage of this extra hour during finals week.
“I think that’s a really good idea that Ray and Mike’s [stay] open later,” junior Bobby Koste said. “[It] makes other students in the library studying late want to go there instead of going to the cafeteria and get the same food that they always usually get.”
Chris D’Acunto added that at York Hill there is no Ratt to satisfy late night hunger, especially during finals week when students are typically up into the early hours of the morning.
George said that he hasn’t thought of any special sandwiches to create for finals week but would be open to suggestions; however, students are eager to present him with ideas.
“I think they should keep the grill on late so people can get breakfast sandwiches, and they should call it the ‘Diner Deal,’” junior Tom Capone said. “People go to the diner late at night to get breakfast food, not real food. I’d definitely go if they had that.”
Taylor Payne, who gets her favorite sandwich, “The Irresistible,” for lunch every Friday said she would love it if they stayed open later and she would definitely go.
Her suggestion for a sandwich was “[s]omething with a Cajun roast beef or some special sandwich like the irresistible with Philly cheese steak toppings.”
Ray and Mike’s Deli tweeted on Dec. 11, 2011 asking its followers what they thought about the possibility of it staying open 24/7 on May Weekend. However, George believes that finals week will be more successful.
“A regular school day would be better business when people are confined to studying or doing actual school work rather than being out and about partying,” George said. “So that’s why I am going to try the finals week first this year.”
