Students now have the option to use their meal swipes at more restaurants in the Student Center.
Originally, only the Metropolitan Deli and Hippie Chicken in the Student Center would accept student meal swipes, or “meal exchange,” but now the list includes pizza from Homeslice, Mediterranean cuisine from Tahini and food from Grill ‘72, which sells burgers among other items. There are also drink and side options for meal exchange.
Students are able to use a meal swipe once a day at the meal-exchange options in the Student Center.
Laura Roach, the associate director of university culinary services, said the decision to expand the meal swipe locations had been in the works for a while.
“We talked about it mostly like all last year, because of the feedback that we were getting from students,” Roach said. “So it was pretty much ongoing, from getting feedback on Text and Tell and also feedback at [Kent Interhall Council] meetings.”
The idea of adding more meal swipe locations on campus came from requests and feedback from students who used meal swipes in the Student Center.
“We had some students request [it],” Roach said. “They wanted to be able to have different options in the hub for meal exchange. So we had decided to just include more of the locations and just decrease the number of times to one per day where they could pick the place [and] change it up a little bit.”
Roach said several students had given positive feedback about the changes in the Student Center.
Isabella Driscole, a freshman aeronautical studies major, said she usually eats at the Student Center with her meal exchange when she can.
“I prefer it over the dining halls,” she said. “Honestly, it’s really nice. I feel like Eastway can get boring really fast, so it’s nice to have a lot of variety over here.”
Students have also been able to use meal swipes at Rosie’s Diner & Market and the Metropolitan Deli in the Eastway Center once during each set meal period: before 4 p.m., 4 p.m. – 9 p.m., and after 9 p.m.
They can also use one meal swipe a day at the George T. Simon III Café located in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. All meal exchange restaurants in the Student Center except Tahini are located on the first floor. Tahini is in the Rathskeller in the Student Center’s basement.
Roach said there are no immediate plans to add more meal swipe options on campus, but there may be additions in the future.
“It’s something to think about for the future,” Roach said. “We’re opening the aeronautics space here soon, but that won’t be meal exchange. And then, of course, they have the College of Business and the process for next fall. More discussions down the road for other changes, yes, but nothing really as far as the main ones change right now.”
Lex Ogilvie is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
