The restaurant was relatively quiet Saturday night, save for some small groups of diners and passersby. But around 1 a.m. Sunday, hordes of students flocked to the venue, eager to take advantage of Pitchfork Provisions’ late night menu options and 24-hour operating schedule. That night the eatery—nestled in the basement of McClendon Tower—experienced its weekend rush.
The busiest hours for Pitchfork Provisions on weekends occur from 1:30 to 3:30 a.m., general manager Scott Wells said. During that time the restaurant, which replaced The Tower at the beginning of this academic year, especially caters to late-night eaters, whether they are stumbling back from Shooters II or seeking a break from a night-long study session.
Indeed, the late-night diners tend to be slightly more animated than an average group of restaurant patrons. At 1:40 a.m, two students engaged in an arm-wrestling competition while they waited for their food. Others were in a more affectionate mood.
“Give me a hug,” one male student said, reaching clumsily to embrace his friend. “You’re one of the funnest girls at Duke.”
The same student later faced interrogation from another female friend, who asked, “You made her orgasm with your kisses?”
“I’m a very good kisser,” he replied.
The students arrived at the restaurant from seemingly all walks of life. Some wore suits, and others donned sweats. A few clutched beer cans, and one girl balanced a glow stick on her head. All, including sophomore Gracie Dulik, were ready to eat.
“I love that they have breakfast late-night because breakfast is my favorite meal,” Dulik said. “And I really like that they have a variety of options, but breakfast is definitely my favorite.”
Dulik said she is proud to be a frequent diner.
“[I eat here] once a day, at least,” she said. “Probably twice a day... for lunch or dinner and then late night.”
Senior John Hoyle, another regular at the restaurant, said the food’s quality is not the eatery’s most appealing factor.
“Twenty-four hours is by far the best thing about it,” Hoyle said. “The food is not spectactular.”
Given the concentration of students in the eatery at such a late hour, the 24-hour feature of Pitchfork Provisions seems to be a major selling point for a large portion of West Campus residents.
Wells said he remembered one particularly memorable early morning at his workplace.
“A few weeks ago... I think there was an international event so a lot of the international students were in here at about 3:30 [a.m.],” he said. “There were probably about 50 or 60 people in the restaurant, and everyone in the restaurant was singing ‘Frere Jacques.’ So that was pretty cool.”
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