Perpetual hunger is a cornerstone of the stereotypical college student’s life, and Kenyon students are not immune to it. But food options on the Hill are often few, especially during evening hours. Kenyon Carryout, a service committed to delivering Mount Vernon delicacies including Chipotle and Panera during certain evening hours has been a part of reshaping how students view late-night food options.
The idea for Kenyon Carryout, formerly known as Thursday Munchies, came from Steven Kaplin ’15 and Phoebe Roe ’16, who are co-managers of the Carryout program. “[The Office of Housing and] Residential Life proposed that we look into a new late-night dining opportunity,” Roe, who is also a staff writer for the Collegian, said.
Carryout has expanded since its early stages last semester, and instead of just running on Thursdays, Carryout will now deliver food on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 10:30 p.m., Fridays and Sundays from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 to 12:30 p.m. On Thursday nights, the drivers are volunteers from the Archon Society. This semester, the money is going to the Archons’ charity fund. The Archons will decide at the end of the semester to which charity the proceeds will go. On the rest of the days, drivers are paid a wage in addition to tips.
The original idea of Thursday Munchies was to offer students the chance to order food at any time on a Thursday night, but that approach was “chaotic and didn’t work well,” Kaplin said. The overall intent and motivation of the food business remains the same: increase late-night food options for hungry students. “Nite Bites was the only late-night food option and people didn’t have cars to get to Mount Vernon,” Kaplin said. “There was a need to be filled.”
Last semester, the proceeds from Thursday Munchies were donated to Kenyon’s fund for East Knox Schools. The donations supported a book drive, sports programs and SAT and ACT scholarship funds. Many students from low-income families in the area do not completely qualify for standardized testing financial aid, “which is a big roadblock for getting into colleges,” Roe said.
Kaplin said Thursday Munchies accomplished that goal well, and they wanted fundraising to remain a key component in Kenyon Carryout. “Thursday Munchies worked very well for charity, so we definitely wanted to keep that element, and it’s important to [Roe and me] as we both work for East Knox schools and Archons,” Kaplin said.
This semester, it’s up to the leaders of the Archons to decide where the proceeds of Kenyon Carryout will go. “We thought East Knox was a really good cause,” Samantha Leder ’17, co-president of the Archons and a manager of the Carryout program, said. “We may continue that or choose another charity. It will be up to Archons as a whole when we see how much money we have and how we can make the greatest impact.”
According to Kaplin, as Kenyon Carryout expands, it must “figure out its business aspect rather than just its function as a charity organization.” Roe added that it is “definitely a developing company.”
Kenyon Carryout will be running alongside Nite Bites for the first time this semester, which may increase competition. According to Kaplin, during the first semester Carryout was getting around 30 orders each night so the group’s business strategy may change to accommodate demand. “We don’t know what to expect this semester because we’re adding more days and there’s more competition,” Kaplin said.
To address that competition, Leder said Carryout was trying to target different delivery times.
“Carryout is aimed toward the dinner crowd, whereas Nite Bites serves the purpose for late-night food,” Leder said.
With the addition of Kenyon Carryout to the food options available to students, Kenyon’s late-night cravings may finally be sated.