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W
eekend nights start quietly on Marshall Street.
There are bits of music as cars pass. A few students dart by here and there, grabbing grub from Chipotle, Insomnia Cookies or Popeyes, or some drinks from a convenience store. The bar-hopping crowd starts to head to Faegen’s Pub and Orange Crate Brewing Company around 10 p.m., but then, it’s back to quiet.
Around midnight, people start leaving the bars, on the hunt for something to satisfy their appetites. Some head back home. Some hit up another party. But some are set on grabbing a bite to eat.
Sandwiched between vacant storefronts, like an answer from the darkness, a flash of white light peeks out. It isn’t a mirage for the hungry, or a false hope. It’s an oasis of fresh, late night eats.
And it’s never closed. No matter the time, you can walk in for a bite.
This is Cuse Gourmet Deli and Café.
“It’s usually on our minds,” freshman Lexi Cole said. “The bright lights really bring us in. We always look for them.”
The Daily Orange spent 12 hours in the deli, over Friday and Saturday night, to see a typical night shift in Marshall Street’s only 24/7 business.
Cuse Gourmet opened in the fall semester, and has quickly become a hit among the Syracuse University community. It’s a deli just like those found in plenty of big cities — open 24 hours and serving a wide variety of options. For bar-hopping students and locals looking for a late-night bite, Cuse Gourmet stands out on Marshall Street.
In the past few years, Marshall Street’s composition has changed. Former staples, like Shirt World and Acropolis Pizza, have closed their doors after decades. Others, like J. Michael Shoes, have changed ownership. Restaurants and smoke shops have come and gone. Currently, Cuse Gourmet lies next to three vacant properties — the former locations of Jimmy John’s, Pita Pit and Shirt World.
Other dining options on Marshall Street aren’t open for 24 hours. Most places close before midnight, like Mediterranean Combo, Bleu Monkey Cafe and Poke Fish. Popeyes is the only exception — open until 5 a.m. on weekends — but many Cuse Gourmet customers said they prefer Cuse Gourmet’s sandwiches over the chain.
Lily Zuckerman | Design Editor
Kate O’Neal stopped suddenly in front of the deli Friday night. Looking through the window at the mass of people inside, she was confused by what she saw at first. Once she recognized the bright lights, her face lit up and she urged her friends to come inside.
Cuse Gourmet is O’Neal’s favorite food spot on Marshall Street. She always sees the lights first — a sign that her and her friends need to make a pit stop after their night out. Sometimes, a packed crowd at the deli means customers have to get a little creative with where they eat inside. O’Neal and her friends huddled in the corner by the refrigerators to snack on their chicken parm paninis.
Emery Holleran and her boyfriend, Hayden Toporoff-Richman, also tracked down food after a night out. Holleran wanted a healthier option, like a chicken Caesar wrap. The pair liked Cuse Gourmet’s variety of options, including the 24-hour breakfast.
Students debate who should pay for the night’s meal. Cuse Gourmet’s 24/7 food is popular at night, partially because it’s one of the only places open after midnight. Joe Zhao | Design Editor
Students aren’t the only ones who need the late night fuel. Patrolling campus at night can’t be done on an empty stomach for Department of Public Safety officer Christopher Donnelly.
When Jimmy John’s closed, he said he couldn’t get a good sandwich after midnight on Marshall Street anymore. But since Cuse Gourmet opened, Donnelly’s late-night sandwich fix has been filled. There’s the added healthy bonus from Cuse Gourmet, like the fresh vegetables he gets on his sandwiches.
“Just because it’s late at night doesn’t mean people don’t need to have good food, especially since the world we work in now is 24 hours,” Donnelly said. “It’s not your normal 9-to-5 anymore.”
Donnelly isn’t the only worker who relies on Cuse Gourmet’s 24-hour reliability. Ryan, an UberEats delivery worker who did not provide his last name, said he needs a round-the-clock option for his job. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to deliver food in the wee hours of the morning once places close for the night.
He picks up orders and then scooters off into the night, like the Paul Revere of nighttime munchies.
UberEats delivery workers depend on late night restaurants, like Cuse Gourmet, for orders. One driver scooters off into the night, food in hand. Joe Zhao | Design Editor
For students, Cuse Gourmet isn’t just about food — it’s also a meeting point.
Students spot each other through the glass windows as friends pass by. Upon seeing some buddies outside, one student flung open the door and greeted them with a warm embrace in the doorframe. One group of friends broke open a pack of Oreos and shared them at the counter while they checked out.
At one point in the night, three friends argued over who would pay for their orders. As one put down his card, the others attempted to pay with cash. The cashier laughed and spoke with the men in Arabic before they made amends and wished each other well on their way out.
D Spade AOE, a local gaming YouTuber, turned heads when he entered the deli and shouted to the crowd, “Are you all in line?”
He made his way through the crowd to grab a water, keeping a calm and playful presence with the crowd. He even joked around with students, grabbing hats and cracking jokes. His fuzzy bucket hat and spade sweatshirt kept him warm for the night out, and as a regular of Cuse Gourmet, he appreciated the staff’s attitude.
“They treat people the way we should all be treated, with respect,” D Spade AOE said. “You go to places a lot of times, they’re always miserable.”
Jared Reinhard, a freshman advertising student, showed up to the deli in a Spider-Man jersey and a horned Viking helmet that he chose for his night at Dazed.
“I’m not one to get gussied up often. I wear Crocs every day,” Reinhard said. “(The outfit) was a lot of thought of, ‘This is really dumb, but I know it’s gonna make me have a good time.’”
Reinhard ordered a classic parmigiana sandwich, and when he split it open, he said it was “friggin’ aura.” He went to Cuse Gourmet specifically because it wasn’t a chain, but rather a local, independent business.
Jared Reinhard digs right into his classic parmigiana sandwich. Cuse Gourmet offers a wide variety of deli style food, and even 24-hour breakfast. Joe Zhao | Design Editor
Caden Greco, another freshman, said he’s noticed the vacant properties on Marshall Street and the early closing hours for some of the food joints.
“There’s a huge market at night, and it’s unconquered ground,” Greco said. “Students would love some variety at this hour.”
Freshman Jack Levin, whose girlfriend goes to the University of Virginia, has noticed differences between Syracuse and Charlottesville. He said Charlottesville is more oriented toward the university than Syracuse. Late-night restaurants and delis are much more common there, he said, but Syracuse lacks that. Most students don’t venture past Marshall Street to get food in the city, he said.
In addition to the recent business closures, SU has purchased several properties on Marshall Street. In March, the university purchased around $14 million worth of property, including the properties housing Lucy Blu Island Bar and Club, Manny’s and Mediterranean Combo. SU has no plans to make changes to the recently acquired spaces, the university said.
DPS opened an office on Marshall Street in 2024; though, DPS’ jurisdiction only extends to SU properties on Marshall Street, not the independent businesses.
In 2021, the university bought the Marshall apartment complex — eventually converting it into undergraduate housing — then Varsity Pizza and Faegen’s in 2022 and Hotel Skyler in 2024. The university converted the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center into undergraduate housing in 2024, but has owned the Sheraton since 2000.
Freshman Grayer Richards sees these acquisitions as a matter of “control” amid risk factors like crime or drinking at local bars. Though, Richards said, the acquisitions won’t allow for a lot of character on Marshall Street either.
Cameron Mollaan’s family friend attended SU, and he talked to her about what Marshall Street was like during her years there. Back then, she said, it was filled with bars and late-night eats, and it was the centerpiece of student nightlife. He was excited to check it out, but noted that Marshall Street has “died down” since her days on campus.
Sophomore Matthew O’Callahan agreed. The alumni he spoke with from the late 2000s and early 2010s advertised Marshall Street as the “not-affiliated-with-campus hub of life.” But it’s not what it used to be, he said, because of the university’s acquisitions and other business changes. Right now, Marshall Street is the closest taste of the city’s authenticity to campus, O’Callahan said.
“It feels like Syracuse,” O’Callahan said. “I don’t want it to feel like the university, I just want it to feel like the city.”
Mollaan, a senior, has seen the growth of undergraduate housing on North Campus since coming to SU. He said he’d be sad to see a staple like Faegan’s go, like others have in recent years.
But, Mollaan said, Cuse Gourmet has a taste of the nostalgic Marshall Street culture.
“It’s bringing back the vibe of what Marshall Street used to be,” Mollaan said.
Published on April 17, 2025 at 3:05 am