Staying open late on State Street is increasingly becoming an economic risk due to drunken students and citizens.
Managers at restaurants such as Qdoba, 548 State St., Taco Bell, 534 State St., and McDonald's, 441 N. Lake St., fear that rowdiness is costing them more than just a headache Thursday through Saturday night. Mark Wilson, general manager at Taco Bell expressed concern over the amount of drunks that come into his restaurant on the weekend, often disrespecting the building and its employees.
Wilson said though he loves the students of UW-Madison and Madison itself, ""It just seems like the kids don't have much respect for things these days.""
Some of incidents Wilson pointed to include: a drunken customer punching an employee twice in one night, the theft of an American flag, racist graffiti written on bathroom stalls and the attempts of four different patrons to kick down the front door.
To combat the problem, Wilson has hired a private security officer for the weekend to watch over his restaurant.
""I don't like the fact that I need security,"" Wilson said. ""But it's becoming to costly not to.""
However, many UW-Madison students are not fazed by the security presence on State Street. UW-Madison junior Mike Wuerl said he even interacts with Taco Bell's security guard.
""The last time I was there I offered to buy the officer a taco,"" he said. ""Unfortunately she declined the offer.""
Qdoba assistant manager Justin Callaway agreed with Wilson's claim that State Street gets raucous, especially after bartime. Callaway said although the restaurant polices itself, there have been incidents such as a burrito being thrown at an employee and bathroom vandalism that have led to talks of hiring private security, as well.
""When we clean up at night, the lobby looks like a bomb went off,"" Callaway said.
Still, McDonald's manager Liz Lawinger said she does not feel her restaurant has as large an issue with theft and vandalism.
""For the most part, it's not that bad,"" she said, noting that the fast-food landmark closes at midnight, rather than 3 a.m.
However, Lawinger did say the McDonald's bathroom often takes a beating.
""Someone once took a ‘slippery when wet' sign and smashed the mirror, and people are always smoking and drinking in there,"" she said.
Taco Bell's Wilson said the Madison police are neither quick nor happy to respond to bartime incidents. He said he makes two or three phone calls per month to the police but hardly ever, in his four years at the restaurant, have officers arrived in time to address disturbances.
