While weekend nights in State College are normally ripe for people-watching, the 200 block of East Beaver Avenue was practically a ghost town late last Friday night.

Scattered passers-by paraded up and down the street, where Acme Pizza and Grillers formerly operated as hunger stoppers and social nuclei. On an average weekend last year, hundreds of late-nighters wrapped around the corner of Locust Lane for a slice of Acme's pizza. This year, lines ran the opposite direction for Grillers, until a kitchen fire last month forced the restaurant to temporarily shut down.

The disappearance of both restaurants leaves many late-nighters without a convenient place to grab a bite before calling it a night.

"Acme was fun because it had a lot of social aspects to it," said Steve Nebzydoski (senior-forest science). "The pizza was good but waiting for it was half the fun."

With Grillers charred and Acme closed, Nebzydoski and his friends find other solutions.

"We just drive out to Sheetz (1781 N. Atherton St.) and get Schmuffins," he said.

Spillovers from Acme and Grillers frequently line the staircase of College Pizza, 128 Locust Lane, teased by the fresh pizzas waiting inside the large windows.

An alternative to waiting in line for food is ordering delivery.

"Friday and Saturday nights can get out of control sometimes," said Brandt Erway, general manager of Jimmy John's, 220 W. College Ave.

Erway sees a lot of hungry patrons trudge in between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m., around the time the bars announce their last calls.

"We don't mind them having fun — we'll turn the music up for them," he said.

But from 2:30 to 3 a.m., just about every order is for delivery, Erway said.

Bar rushes trigger the most hectic hours of business for La Bamba, 111 Sowers St., known for serving "burritos as big as your head."

"After the bars close on weekend nights, we keep the doors open because everybody comes in at the same time," said Baudelio Rodriguez, manager of La Bamba.

The customers can get loud sometimes, Rodriguez said, adding that the business is welcomed and appreciated.

He also noted a disappearance in customers this past weekend.

State College Police Department Sgt. John Wilson attributes last weekend's melancholy to many factors: fall break, a struggling Penn State football team and the absence of Acme and Grillers.

"Also, the fact that we're at war right now is occupying people's minds," Wilson said.

Overall, downtown State College has been quieter on weekends, especially in Beaver Canyon, Wilson noted.

"There has been a significant decrease in the number of calls for disturbances and problems in general," he said.

High-rise apartment buildings, Acme Pizza and the Loop stop often led to congestion on the corners and streets, Wilson said.

"Our only problem with such behavior was people standing on the streets and interrupting traffic," Wilson said. "We're not in the business of telling restaurants how to run their business."