Louie's open for studying, TV viewing during evening hours

Brian D. Rothschild Arizona Daily Wildcat Rachael Nez and Joseph Mora utilize the Louie's Lower Level dining room yesterday while studying for mid-terms. Louie's Lower Level now closes at 3 p.m. on weekdays although the seating area now remains open for relaxing, studying or watching television.

Louie's Lower Level's dining area was open during evening hours again yesterday, but patrons are still not able to order food after the restaurant's new 3 p.m. closing time.

Student criticism over the afternoon closing of Louie's and the recent overcrowding at other dining units in the Memorial Student Union prompted the decision by Union officials to keep the dining area open in the afternoons, said Jerry Groch, cash operations manager for Memorial Student Union Dining Services.

"We wanted students have a place to congregate and watch TV as well as bring food from other dining units," Groch said.

He said the televisions' controls in the dining area will be permanently mounted to the TV sets so students can change the channels. He said the TVs should be ready for the NCAA basketball tournament.

David Bigg, an optical engineering senior, said he was happy to hear of Louie's dining area being reopened.

"I like to study here because you can talk and relax, while at the library you have to be quiet and you can't have food," Bigg said.

Groch said a $30,000 budget cut, along with federally and university-mandated wage increases, forced the Union to either raise food prices or cut expenses. As a result, Louie's began closing at 3 p.m. on weekdays, effective Feb. 24. Previously, the restaurant remained open until midnight.

The hours of operation for other restaurants in the Student Union also were changed.

Kathi Noble, food projections manager for Memorial Student Union Dining Services, said that Union dining units rely heavily on freshman student patronage, which has been severely affected by the university's decreased enrollment.

"This isn't something we wanted to do," Noble said. "We had to do it to deal with our continuing labor issues."

Cynthia Burr, pre-nursing freshman, said, "They push All Aboard to all the people who live in the dorm, but now at night everything is closed.

"I'm getting pretty sick of pizza," she said.

Groch said he is evaluating Union budgets so more restaurants can be kept open during the evening to provide more variety to students while not exceeding financial constraints.

He said that after spring break, Louie's may remain open until 10 p.m. using a smaller staff.