Only in a college town are some food delivery drivers busy until 4 a.m., and restaurants like Are U Hungry and Wings Over Happy Valley strive to be known for fast service.
"We try to get hot food to people quickly. That's our motto," said Steve Moreira, owner of Wings Over Happy Valley, 536 Westerly Parkway.
State College delivery drivers endure high gas prices, intoxicated pedestrians and cold weather, but still manage to bring home the bacon and deliver it even faster.
Every night for the drivers differs from the last and many factors affect the amount of deliveries that go out and how long the deliveries take, such as the number of staffed drivers or accidents.
"Sometimes, it depends on the bar crowd. If people start drinking earlier, they tend to go home earlier and want to order food," said Robert Weyls, Are U Hungry (soon-to-be Sandwich U) manager and delivery driver.
Other than football weekends, Friday through Sunday tends to be the busiest for deliveries.
"In three years, we've become the No. 1 busiest delivery business in town," Moreira said.
At night, downtown State College could give Times Square a run for its money.
"Driving in this town, there are so many distractions, you kind of get used to it," Weyls said. "Depending on the time of night, this town can get pretty tricky."
He emphasized delivery drivers need to be extra cautious as the bars close because more and more people spill out onto College and Beaver Avenues -- and they don't want a "body-size dent" in their car.
Ahmed Abd El Aziz, a driver for Are U Hungry, said there have been times when people run in front of his car and flag him down because they think he's a taxi.
Most delivery drivers agree that there are both good and bad aspects to the job.
"You meet some interesting people," Weyls said, reminiscing about one delivery that tipped him with Jack Daniels shots.
