Rowan Campbell

A closed sign hangs in the doorway of Eugene business at night. (Rowan Campbell/Emerald)

Despite Eugene being home to over 23,000 University of Oregon students and 177,899 residents, some restaurants close by 8 or 9 p.m., leaving fast-food outlets as a primary option for locals after 10 p.m.

While Eugene’s active college community might suggest a strong demand for late-night dining options, restaurant owners must balance business potential with the practical costs of labor, utilities and supplies.

Brian Kaufman, one of the three owners of Bo & Vine Burger, said that with increased competition and the location of their restaurant, the Eugene location on Pearl Street hasn’t been thriving as well as previously hoped.

“I think it’s for a variety of reasons. Location doesn’t help, and there’s also increased competition. We also opened the day that indoor dining closed
down in 2020,” Kaufman said. “We’re learning a lot about how to pivot and make adjustments as we go. In some ways it’s been a benefit, and in other
ways it would be nice to see that location pick up.”

Bo & Vine Burger opened in Eugene in 2019, with two locations in Salem and Corvallis already opened. Kaufman said that out of all three locations, the Eugene restaurant has been “the most difficult.”

According to Kaufman, business hours vary by location. Their Eugene restaurant will typically close earlier due to a lack of foot traffic, while their
Corvallis location tends to stay open longer to cater to college students and other late-night diners.

“We’re kind of exploring staying open late,” Kaufman said. “There’s not a lot of things that pull people in our direction, especially after hours. We’re working on how to get more traffic.”

Rain Baumann, a UO student, said that while she doesn’t eat off-campus as much, she frequents the coffee shops around campus.

Out of the coffee shops near the UO campus, Tailored Coffee on 13th Avenue opens the latest at 8 a.m

“I usually go to Tailored. I’ll usually go there any time of day,” Baumann said. “One of my classes is really really early, so one of the chunks of time I would like to go to [Tailored] I don’t think they’re open.”