Dear students and Lehigh families,
As the University is reimagining the Clayton University Center as a crossroads of campus and a dynamic center of student life, it is also an opportunity for us to reimagine the dining experience to meet the evolving needs and wants of students. We are writing to inform you of the initial plans Dining Services has made to prepare for the renovation of the Clayton University Center (Clayton UC) beginning at the end of the calendar year. We are committed to continuous service that offers plenty of healthy and nutritious food options in a variety of formats. Come spring, the dining program will provide more retail options offering students enhanced “on-the-go” options that complement the dining hall experience.
Effective immediately, to prepare for the transition, we are making enhancements to help students begin exploring the range of dining options available and adapt to the new dining routines:
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Retail Meal Deals- Retail Meal Deals are available at all retail locations (these include a sandwich, side, and 12 oz. beverage). A meal deal is a featured menu item that can be purchased for one meal credit/swipe.
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Meal Credit Increases- Meal credits have been increased to provide students with additional flexibility to use meal credits to purchase complete meals. The meal credit values will be $5.00 for breakfast and $7.00 for brunch, lunch, and dinner.
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Dining Dollars- An additional $50 has been provided for each meal plan participant for use at all on-campus dining locations, including retail.
Later this fall, as you may know, the Hawk’s Nest will temporarily close so improvements can be made to the space, including adding more dining options within Lamberton Hall. Hawk’s Nest will re-open and provide a reimagined food court with a variety of options for the start of the spring semester.
In the spring, the following additional changes will be implemented:
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Lucy's Cafe in Linderman Library will reopen in January 2023 with an expanded footprint and more food offerings.
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Hours of operation will be expanded in Rathbone and Brodhead Dining Halls, Common Grounds, and Hawk’s Nest.
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New technology at Rathbone will allow students to gauge how busy the student restaurant is in real time online, and our new "Rathbone Express" line will expedite wait times for students on the go. Students will be able to enter the Express line, get their ecoContainer, grab their food and go.
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A new fresh food vending operation (similar to Hillside Cafe in Hitch House) will be installed at Iacocca Hall along with a Yo Kai hot noodle bowl vending machine.
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We are introducing a new on-campus food truck! Its menu will be a diverse mix of comfort foods including unique breakfast bowls served all day, made-to-order sandwiches and side dishes. All three food trucks will accept meal swipes in addition to other payment types.
We realize there will be questions and we look forward to providing the campus community with more information on all the changes that will be taking place this spring.
For additional details, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the dining transition webpage, which will be updated throughout the year.
David M. Joseph
Executive Director, Student Auxiliary Services
