Food Service
The dining hall (Empire Café) is located in Empire Hall and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday the dining hall opens in the afternoon for brunch and in the evening for dinner. If you live in Student Housing you are required to have a meal plan; the cost for this is already included in your room rate. Dining Services will do its best to accommodate the special dietary requirements of students. If you have special needs in this area, arrangements should be made with Dining Services prior to your arrival at Southwestern.
Meal Service Begins:
Summer: *See Below
Fall: September 23 - Dinner is the first meal served
Winter: January 8 - Dinner is the first meal served
Spring: April 1 – Dinner is the first meal served
Meal Service Ends:
Summer: *See Below
Fall: December 9 - Lunch is the last meal served
Winter: March 23 - Lunch is the last meal served
Spring: June 15 – Lunch is the last meal served
No meal services during Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks. Arrangements to stay in housing during breaks need to be made in writing through the Housing Office. Please check with the Housing Office for rates.
*Meal plan for summer is optional - See Housing Office for more information.
Students can choose from three different meal plans:
- 19 meals a week: This meal plan allows you to eat every meal served throughout the term at empire cafe: breakfast, lunch, and dinner each weekday; brunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday.
- 15 Meals a week: This meal plan allows you to eat in the cafeteria on a consistent basis throughout the week; for example, 3 meals per day each weekday.
- Flex Plan: This meal plan allows you to eat 88 meals in the cafeteria throughout the term; an average of around one meal a day. You will also be credited with 125 flex points, which are equivalent to and function like money. These points can be used throughout the term to purchase meals, sodas, candy, etc. Flex Plan participants may purchase additional points in $110.00 increments at the cash price of $100.00. Unused points carry over from Fall to Winter and Winter to Spring terms as long as you continue on the Flex Plan. Unused meals do NOT carry over from term to term. Upon completion of agreement (re: end of term/ academic year) unused points will not result in a refund of any kind.
