The Palace Cafe is open late nights on weekends again — but only until the end of the spring 2018 semester.
According to owner Leslie Meredith, she decided to reopen for late nights so students celebrating the end of the year would have a place to go in the dead hours.
“It’s really for the college kids,” she said. “I come from Penn State, where everything is 24/7 going on. There’s not too much going on in the night life here. We just couldn’t stay closed at the end of the year.”
The Palace was open late the weekend of April 20-21, and will be open for the following three weekends, up through the weekend of May 11-12.
“I felt really bad about it,” Meredith said. “I know all the college kids like to come up here after Centralhallapalooza, and I couldn’t not be open for it. I’d work those hours myself if I had to.”
Meredith originally ended the late night shift in February after trouble with the employees who worked during those hours. But things have been different this time around, she said.
“We’ve got a new staff, and they’re a lot of fun,” Meredith said. “Everyone gets along, which is really great in this business.”
Meredith said she tries to serve the interests of both college students and local residents equally, but that it is mostly college students who give The Palace late night business. For this reason, she said she is considering staying open late during the college’s school year and keeping closed late in the summer.
“I love the college,” she said. “In the 12 years I’ve been working here, I’ve only ever had trouble with one student at The Palace.”
Junior Mason Clutter said he is glad The Palace is open late again.
“My favorite food is breakfast food, and it’s nice to once again have a place open all night long,” he said. “In my experience, the people working there are pretty hospitable. They always check in and keep my coffee cup full.”