Cheesesteak stand fights drinking and driving with food

Looking for a new location to eat a late night snack? Need a break from the restless hours of studying into the night?

Look no further than your backyard; Cale’s Cheesesteak Factory is open late to serve Millersville University students’ hunger needs.

On Saturday, August 29, Cale’s Cheesesteak Factory, a stand run by Millersville Alumni, Cale Wentland, opened for business.

The cheesesteak stand is located in between Brookwood, Wellness and E-Courts.

The location is meant to target students walking to these locations, as well as the campus dorms.

Here, you can find a menu consisting of six and ten inch cheesesteaks, ranging from four to six dollars. There is a choice of chicken or beef, and the stand also serves hot dogs and soda for a dollar and cheesedogs for $1.50.

Students waiting in line to buy a cheesesteak at Cale's Cheesteak Stand, located near Brookwood and Wellness

“Our signature item on the menu is called ‘the hog’- it’s a cheesesteak with [cheese] whiz, onions and hot sauce, wrapped around a hot dog on a 6 inch amoroso [roll],” said Laura Schreder, a May ‘09 Millersville graduate. “The menu may expand over time,” she added.

The decision to create a food stand directed toward Millersville students was to help keep students from driving under the influence to eat, when all walking distance restaurants are closed, explained Schreder.

The stand is open from 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m., Fridays and Saturdays, while other popular eateries such as House of Pizza, located along Frederick Street, and The Sugar Bowl, located off of George Street, are only open until 2 a.m.

“We serve so many students after 1 a.m. that we suspect that we are already keeping drivers off the road at that hour of the night”  Schreder said.

There are no employees at the stand besides the owner, Wentland and his girlfriend, Schreder, who helps him out as a volunteer.

Wentland cooks all of the food, a skill he obtained from making cheesesteaks at The Galley for three years.

Wentland and Schreder are also looking to make money to attend graduate classes in education. Profits from selling cheesesteaks will hopefully help pay for the classes.

Opening a food service in the Millersville borough was not a simple task.

Wentland had to first purchase the trailer and obtain various types of insurance on the
trailer to be a food vendor.

The trailer also had to be inspected by the PA Health Department. Wentland then had to take managing classes and take an exam to become a certified manager.

To be granted permission to stay open until three, he had to speak to the Millersville Borough to discuss having the soliciting time extended after 9 p.m. He must also pay the borough monthly for his permits, and set up accounts with various food distributors.
Wentland’s work is thus far proving to be successful. Students can be seen crowding by the stand at various hours of the night, waiting for a bite to eat.

Alicia Wagner, senior, believes the stand is, “ a great idea for people living in Brookwood, it provides a good night-time meal. I?love cheesesteaks, this is my new favorite place ever!”

“Cale really loves making people happy with his food,” Schreder began, “[I] really enjoy interacting with the customers.”

The downside of the operation are the late nights and having to give up their weekends, as well as balancing the business with their other jobs, explained Schreder.

The cheesesteak stand is a big responsibility, and the Millersville alumni are working hard to keep students safe and well fed.

With help from the Millersville police officers, their business venture is running smoothly.

Millersville police officers have aided the stand by patrolling the area as well as giving suggestions on ways to keep their money secure while they sell and ways to keep people under control.

This advice has made them aware of problems that could occur that might result in having to shut down the stand, such as littering on the streets, or having a noise violation. “Keeping the area around our stand from becoming too congested is also very important,” Schreder added.

This stand is a great and delicious opportunity to help support fellow Millersville students.

Now that we are all hungry for a cheesesteak, this weekend, you can walk down toward the Brookwood visitor parking lot and try “the hog.”