The Anchor Express welcomes late nighters

Christina Judy, Contributing writer

The Anchor Express, the convenience store and made to order retail spot located inside of Ryan Hall, has just initiated the new “swipe at night” option for students. Between the hours of 9:00pm-1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as 9:00pm-midnight Monday-Thursday, students are now welcome to use their meal plan swipes to get food in The Anchor Express. This dining option was created to compensate for the Grotto Commons’ shortened revised hours of operation, which was enacted at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. Grotto used to be open until midnight during the weekdays, and until 2:00am on the weekends. Grotto now closes at 9:00pm Monday-Thursday and 8:00pm Friday-Sunday. Not to worry, the “swipe at night” option features Anchor Express’ well-known favorites of customized, freshly made pizzas, wraps, sandwiches, and the Cinco Cantina station, but you should hurry to get there before the rice runs out! Once a food item is gone, it is gone for the night. Those who have an unlimited meal plan will benefit from the “swipe at night” because just one swipe will provide an entire meal with a drink, which can be selected from the assorted bottled drinks. Don’t have an unlimited meal plan? No problem. Even if you run out of swipes, the Anchor Express takes alternative forms of payment including dining dollars, bonus bucks or credit card. You can add dining dollars to your account and check your balance through the GET app.Initially, hearing that Grotto was cutting their hours back was devastating because on the busy college days that will ensue, searching for food is the last thing you want to do. But, upon discovering that the Anchor Express was adding another pizza oven to their inventory, I knew they had a plan. They were preparing for an increased number of customers and for the late nighters. Swipe at night is a great way to maximize the benefits of your meal plan. On those busy college days where planning a time to eat within a certain time frame begins to send a panic through your system, there is now no longer a need to worry. Plus the late night atmosphere at the Anchor Express is really fun, and you can catch up with your friends as you wait for your pizzas to cook. The stress of schoolwork weighs heavily enough on all of us, enjoying a fulfilling meal should not contribute to that. Anchor Express is making it their mission to help the Mercyhurst student body de-stress and enjoy their evening with their “swipe at night” dining option. Head to the Anchor Express to try something new, but take your time, there is no rush to get there.