It’s Thursday night at 2 a.m. You’ve had some refreshments after completing (most of) a long week. What could be better right now than the unbelievable deliciousness that is Wings Over?

So you call the famous establishment hoping to soon say “delivery” victoriously. But all you get is a busy tone that goes on and on endlessly, each beep reminding you that you’ll have to wait for another night to enjoy the delicacy because it’s Thursday.

Indeed, though Wings Over Happy Valley stays open until 3:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, it closes at 1 a.m. on Thursdays (if you want to get technical, it closes at 1 on Friday morning).

This closing time has left at least one student (me) disgruntled on various Thursdays, but owner Steven Moreira has a good explanation for it: His workers, most of whom are students, are functioning humans and therefore require sleep.

“The phone is always ringing on Thursday nights off the hook whenever we’re closed,” Moreira said. “It’s a question of, ‘is it worth it?’ Money-wise, yes, but is it worth it for the guys working for me? I’d rather err on the side of caution, making sure my guys get some sleep and do well in school.”

When Wings Over first opened here in 2005, it was open until 3 a.m. on Thursdays. But it also wasn’t as popular then, and Moreira said the store wasn’t as efficient as it is now. The late hours then combined with a smaller staff led to some “1,000-yard stares” from its employees by the time Sundays rolled around.

Because the store is open later on Fridays and Saturdays — which Moreira said the drivers prefer — and there’s class on Friday, staying open that late on Thursday just isn’t a good idea.

Moreira also noted the scheduling issues that staying open late on Thursday would cause, since Wings Over opens at 11 a.m. on Fridays.

“Not everything is about how much money you can make,” Moreira said.

Several other Wings Overs apparently don’t mind the late hours. Michigan State students can order from the East Lansing location and Virginia kids can do the same from the Charlottesville one until 3 a.m. on Thursdays, for instance. On the other hand, we could have it a lot worse: A few Wings Over locations close at 11 p.m. on Thursdays, like the one in New Haven, Conn., where Yale is located.

For students that prefer their wings late, there is a bit of hope.

“I do evaluate it every year,” Moreira said. “If there was a way I could do it, I wouldn’t be against it.”

Unfortunately for students, as long as there are classes on Fridays, it doesn’t seem too likely it will stay open later on Thursdays.