There are many restaurants all over the city of Ellensburg, many of which close around 9-9:30 p.m., and to some this may be an issue. It can be very frustrating knowing that after 9 p.m., I won’t be able to go to a restaurant to grab a bite to eat. Whether it is carryout or dine-in, all of the main restaurants are closed by night time, except for fast food restaurants and bars. 

It is disappointing to know that if I want to go out with friends or if I have a family relative in town, I can’t go sit down and enjoy quality time with them at certain hours. 

Now, I am not the only one who may feel this way about restaurants closing early, but I can say that there needs to be a change to this real soon. 

Nothing is wrong with staying open an extra hour or two, because it is not like there’s that much going on in Ellensburg and as a student, I know that for sure, unless you go to the bar or find something to do on campus. 

Back in December of 2022, my dad flew out to come visit and spend time with me, and when it was time to get dinner, we had nowhere to go at all. The only place that was open past 9 p.m. was The Tav, and you couldn’t even go into The Tav unless you were 21 and had proof of being 21, and me being under the age of 21, I couldn’t get in.

According to my dad, it sucked knowing everything was closed besides fast food because he wanted to sit down with his son and have a good meal.

The same issue happened when my mom and grandma came out to visit a couple months ago. As I said before, I can’t speak for everyone, but I do know that there are students who are not a fan of restaurants that close early. Especially when it is the weekend, and like most students who stay out late, they want to sit down somewhere to get food and enjoy their time in Ellensburg.

There are great places in town that serve great food and can attract more of a crowd in the later part of the day. Not everyone wants to order Dominos or go to Wendy’s or Taco Bell late in the evening if they could just go to sit-down restaurants like The Porch, Ellensburg Pasta Co., The Palace Cafe and The Pearl Bar and Grill. 

Not all restaurants can be open until midnight, but I am suggesting that staying open ‘til 10:30-11 p.m. is not a bad idea. Other restaurants that I’ve been to near other universities are open late, because they know the audience of their customers and they know that when it gets late, especially on weekends, that’s when students come out.

Restaurants should stay open for at least a couple more hours, because then they will have more customers, including students, and they can offer special deals at night.