By Leeann Sanon | Staff Writer
A petition was published on June 16, 2026, on change.org in hopes of making the market at Breezeway open 24/7. The petition proposal requests that this readjustment happens with the exception of summer semester and holiday breaks. If this cannot be met, then they ask that Crave Cafe be expanded to meet the demand that the 24-hour Breezeway would fill.
As a resident of Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC), I understand firsthand the frustrations of being hungry late at night and having no choice but to have food delivered or go off campus. Considering that most on-campus dining options close relatively early, except for Crave Cafe.
I interviewed two FIU staff regarding this possible change: Felecia Townsend with the Office of Business Services, and Renata Fernandez, the Resident District Manager for Dining Services. They both were surprised by this petition but appreciative that this was brought to their attention. They presumed that Crave Cafe had adequately filled this need for a 24-hour convenient store as it provides hot foods and 1/3rd of the vending machines offer medication and hygiene products.
I also got in contact with the original creator of the petition, Karlebe Rubain. Rubain is a rising sophomore majoring in computer science. He started this petition because he understands having limited access to food.
“I was struggling to get medicine,” Rubain said. He had been sick and unable to find an on-campus store that sold medicine that was still open as it was after 1 am.
Rubain is reliant on dining dollars and while there are dining options that accept this method, they are limited after a certain time. Currently, Rubain is a resident of Tamiami and is struggling from the lack of late night meal options because they close early since it is the summer term. This early closure limits him to the Crave Cafe and the vending machines, yet only two machines in Crave Cafe accept dining dollars.
Fernandez and Townsend are in agreement that there is no plan to make Crave Cafe or another dining option be in competition with the vending machines. Meaning the possibility of vending machines accepting dining dollars are low. When it comes to a 24-hour Breezway it’s more than the ability to stay open, it now requires a demand. The hours of operation are based on supply and demand.
Breezway has had multiple testing periods to assess which time is profitable and sustainable, that is why Breezeway has adjusted its time from 10pm to 2am, and now currently 1 am. Fernandez and Townsend are not opposed to reevaluating the hours in the fall to determine if the foot traffic necessitates extending hours or not.
It seems as though the chances of Breezeway extending its hours to be 24 is low while Crave Cafe expanding its inventory is higher. According to Fernandez and Townsend there are current talks to expand the menu items available at Crave Cafe. There is no definitive answer as to what will be added or removed from Crave Cafe as they are still deliberating.
When it comes to the medication option at Crave Cafe, they referenced the Pharmabox which was installed then removed as there was low demand which caused it to be later moved to PG5 then the Green library and the Graham Center. The low usage of the Pharmabox while at the Crave Cafe showed a limited demand for over the counter medication which is why there is limited quantity now.
The only way a 24-hour breezeway is an option is if there is a demand, which is what the petition is demonstrating. How much more initiative is needed before there is a change?
For many students without a way off campus, Breezeway acts as their only resource for any semblance of a consistent and reliable grocery shopping experience. The option to get a snack early in the morning before class or late at night after provides a dependable experience. You can find nearly everything at Breezway.
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