Late meal is late again, program scales back to 2–4 p.m.

Late Meal lunch at Frist Campus Center will now begin at 2 p.m. on weekdays, a cutback from last year’s 11 a.m. start for the popular central campus dining option. Meanwhile, the Rocky-Mathey (RoMa) and Whitman-Butler dining halls have extended their lunch hours by an additional hour, staying open until 3 p.m.

Frist’s Late Meal program allows students on the University meal plan to use one meal swipe during lunch and dinner periods with an $11 allowance for grill and grab-and-go meals and snacks. Designed to accommodate students who miss traditional dining hall hours, the program was expanded in 2023 to allow a Late Meal lunch swipe from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On most days, at 12:30 p.m., the gallery was shoulder-to-shoulder, its central location making it a convenient option for students between classes.

University Spokesperson Ahmad Rizvi cited the University’s newly expanded passing period times, clearing of significant campus construction, and the opening of the new engineering buildings on Washington Road — which places it closer to the residential dining halls — as factors in the decision.

Students will now rely on the residential dining halls for traditional lunch hours, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with extended service in RoMa and Whitman-Butler. Rizvi described the adjustment as part of the University’s “continuing efforts to refine and strengthen its campus dining program, especially in the residential colleges.”

Some students were indifferent about the change, remarking that their eating schedules would be largely unaffected by the altered Frist dining hours.

“I don’t think this change will make it harder or easier to fit into my schedule, as I usually eat lunch around 12 p.m.,” Hermione Cao ’28 said.

“Although I can’t speak for all [students], I think 2 to 4 p.m. is still a pretty appropriate time for those who have classes at noon but still want to grab a snack,” she added. “Especially with RoMa and Whitman having options until 3 p.m., I think this will definitely help for those who load up their afternoon classes.”

However, others raised concerns that the later opening of Late Meal removes a convenient, central grab-and-go option for students with afternoon classes.

“Extending lunch at RoMa and Whitman [dining halls] definitely helps, but it’s not quite the same as Frist, since the location and grab-and-go options are different,” Amelie Park ’28 agreed.

“I’d rather have had the operation hours of some dining halls be lowered instead of Frist,” Tejas Rajagopal ’28 said.

“Realistically, I’ll probably be skipping lunch most days now because of how classes are scheduled,” Rajagopal continued. “Most students, I think, would agree that Frist’s convenience and food combined beats that of any other food option.”

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Rizvi touted Campus Dining’s “Lunch to Go” program as an alternative, which allows students to order and pick up a bag lunch at residential dining halls. The program runs from Monday to Friday and is intended for students who find “dining in one of the residential dining halls or at Late Lunch is not convenient.”

The Lunch to Go form will open for the academic year on Aug. 27. Students must submit the form no later than 5 a.m. on the day for which the lunch is requested.

When asked about the Lunch to Go option, students expressed a willingness to try using it despite a lack of exposure to the program.

“I didn’t really know much about the Lunch to Go program before, but it sounds like a useful option,” Park said. “I’d consider using it if it’s easy to pick up and has [a] good variety.”

Eojin Park is an assistant News editor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Seoul, South Korea.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.