BC After Dark (Note: masks are required for guests, except when eating or drinking). Photos by Justin Knight.
With the advent of spring’s longer days and warmer weather comes a fresh late-night dining option—which features outdoor seating—for students and other BC community members. Boston College Dining Services has transformed Hillside Cafe and the adjacent outdoor patio, adorned with bistro lights, to introduce the new campus restaurant “BC After Dark."
“We are very excited to open ‘BC After Dark’,” said BCDS Director Beth Emery. “This restaurant provides a great opportunity for students to socialize and enjoy great food and drink on campus this spring.”
The new venue has a five-week run, through the final exam period, on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to midnight, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 4:30 p.m. to midnight. Fare includes beef and vegetarian burgers, fries, and chicken wings.
According to Emery, in addition to nonalcoholic beverages, "BC After Dark" offers beer, wine, spiked seltzer, and hard cider—available to students who show both a license and BC ID to receive wristbands which indicate that they are of legal age.
The new venue accommodates seating for 50 inside and for 100 on the patio. COVID-19 protocols are followed: physical distancing in line to access the restaurant; masks required for guests, except when eating or drinking; a six-person maximum per table, and a 90-minute seating limit. Food orders are contact-free, placed via mobile device.
“Our team has been working diligently on plans for this restaurant since the beginning of the semester,” Emery said, praising the leadership of Associate Director for Restaurant Operations Megan O'Neill and Associate Director for Food and Beverage Frank Bailey. “We appreciate the support of so many of our colleagues across campus, from Government Affairs, Capital Projects, Fire Safety, Institutional Research and Planning, Facilities Management, Auxiliary Services, and Student Affairs, to approval from senior administration. A special ‘thank-you’ to Christian Guma and Kevork Atinizian, UGBC president and vice president, for their input and collaboration,” she added.
“Since early fall, Kevork and I worked hard alongside administrators to create ways to engage students and uplift campus morale,” said Guma, a senior. “Seeing the ‘BC After Dark’ concept come to fruition is pretty special. Our students have wanted something like this for a long time, and we are thrilled they will get to enjoy this. The ability to do this is also a testament to the tireless work our student body has put in to keep one another safe this year and #KeepTheHeightsHome.”
University Communications | April 2021