Handbook | Food Services

5. Food Services
Many graduate students find it difficult to eat regular meals every day because of their busy schedules. The UMass campus provides various food options to match both your eating habits and daily schedule. There are also many off-campus food options.

a. University Food Services
Dining Services offers both the Residential Meal Plan and Your Campus Meal Plan to graduate students. Both are block plans offering a specific number of meals for the entire semester, with no weekly limit. All the meals in the dining commons are all-you-can-eat. There are four dining commons on campus.

The Residential Meal Plan has three options: Deluxe (unlimited access to the dining halls), Value (224 meals per semester), Basic (163 meals per semester), and a Kosher option in Hampden Dining Hall which is a charge in addition to any meal plan per semester. All of these plans include 15 guest meals and assigned meal exchanges, with a cash value of $6.00 at any of our retail outlets.

Your Campus Meal Plan offers the option of eating in the dining halls or in the retail operations. The three options are: Economy (180 meals per semester), Commuter Express (86 meals per semester), and Light (43 meals per semester).

You can use the Residential Meal Plan and Your Campus Meal Plan at any of the four dining commons for the all-you-care-to-eat program and with meal exchanges at our retail dining areas on campus. For additional information, please call the Meal Plan Office at (413) 545-1362 or visit our Web site at www.umass.edu/diningservices .

The following cash operations are located in the Campus Center/Student Union complex:

The Hatch Monday to Friday 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, closed Saturday and Sunday
Open weekdays between 11AM and 2PM and located on the ground floor where the Student Center and the Campus Center meet, The Hatch eatery offers a variety of theme stations for the hungry lunch crowd. Options include Tamales - great Mexican food that's good for you, The Noodle Bowl, offering up a variety of tantalizing Asian dishes, and Sunset Strips, serving chicken so tasty it would make even the Colonel's mouth water. In addition, The Hatch offers 8 different soups which rotate daily in order to provide the freshest and most exciting possibilities to the University Community.

The Marketplace Café Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, closed Saturday and Sunday
A staple among the breakfast and lunch crowd, The Marketplace Café serves a full-grill selection of breakfast items including omelets, bagel sandwiches and English muffins, as well as burgers, fries, onion rings and chicken sandwiches. Don't miss out on the complete line of hot lunch entrées and sides available after 11AM. But wait, there's more. These choices are complemented by a rotating selection of Asian Cuisine including Lo-Mein, Spring Rolls and General Tso Chicken as well as salads, yogurts, beverages and fresh desserts from the UMass Bake Shop.

Fresh Express Located just outside The Marketplace Café, the Fresh Express cart offers a menu that alternates between expertly crafted sushi, and deli-style sandwiches. While the main course may change daily, Fresh Express always stocks an array of beverages including juices, sodas and of course the famous UMass bottled water.

The Blue Wall Eatery Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
The Blue Wall Eatery, a perennial favorite among UMass students, faculty, and staff alike, serves an extensive menu to accommodate a wide variety of tastes. In addition to full-service grill and deli facilities, the Blue Wall Eatery serves several types of pizza made fresh daily and served hot and ready when you are. For those who crave change and excitement as well as nutrition, we are proud to offer the Lemongrass Noodle Bowl Station. This exciting addition to the line up allows patrons to select ingredients from a plethora of fresh vegetables, meats and sauces, which are then sautéed to order for a taste that's out of the ordinary and out of this world. But that's not all, the same array of fabulous soups, which draw hungry diners to The Hatch Eatery, can be found at The Blue Wall Eatery when The Hatch is closed.

Starbucks Coffee Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 3:00pm, closed Saturday and Sunday
Expertly crafted. Always satisfying. The complete lineup of Starbucks signature drinks is available at the Starbucks Cart on the concourse level of the Campus Center across from the Blue Wall.

The Blue Wall Café Located across from the Blue Wall Eatery, is the Blue Wall Coffee Shop. Here you will find an all-day selection of croissants, pastries, donuts, cookies and beverages for those moments when time is of the essence. With a full-service, fresh Smoothie station you can get your daily requirement of fruit in one easy cup made with ingredients of your choice. And, as the name implies, The Blue Wall Coffee Shop serves a tantalizing array of coffee-based specialty beverages to keep you moving through your busy day.

The Southwest Café Located in the heart of the Southwest campus area in the lower level of the Hampden building. With hours of operation from 5:00 pm to 1:00 am seven days a week, it is the perfect place to pick up the late night snack or meal. The Southwest Cafe features our own homemade pizza, as well as some of the best tasting calzones you will ever have. The grill serves a wide variety of fresh made to order grinders as well as "The Anchor Bar" hot and spicy chicken wings. Tamales: "Great Mexican food, that's good for you" now opens at Southwest Café

Whitmore Café Located in the Whitmore Administration Building, Whitmore Cafe is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. It is a great place to pick up that fresh sandwich, grill item or hot coffee. From fresh breakfast sandwiches, omelets, gourmet sandwiches, made to order wraps, pizza, fresh baked goods soups and salads, we have what you need for your fast paced day. Accepts YCMP and Meal Exchanges

Whitmore Express Located at Haigis Mall. Serves coffee, juices, fresh baked goods, sandwiches, salads and much more. Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm

The Library Coffee Café - Monday to Sunday, 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. Located in the library lobby . Serves gourmet coffee, juices, fresh baked goods, sandwiches, salads and much more.

The Pita Pit "Fresh Thinking, Healthy Eating" is the trademark for this new branded concepts. Located on the first floor of Worcester Dining Commons, across the hall from the Worcester Convenience Store, is open daily Sunday through Saturday, 5:00 pm to 1:00 am. It is home of fresh made to order pita sandwiches of all types. Whether you crave turkey, chicken, beef, seafood or vegetarian pitas, we have what you like. Salads are also available, making this a "healthy choice" cafe you will visit often. Accepts YCMP and Meal Exchanges

Physical Plant Café Located in the Physical Plant, it is open Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 2:00 pm. It is the perfect place to grab that "on the go" meal or snack. It features hot breakfast or lunch sandwiches, cold "Grab n'Go" items, snacks, hot coffee and cold beverages: the solution for your breakfast or lunch. Accepts YCMP and Meal Exchanges

Student-Run Businesses

Earthfoods Café Earthfoods Cafe was founded in 1976 by a group of students concerned with the lack of economical, healthy food on campus. Today the student-run coop continues to offer ovo-lacto vegetarian food at an inexpensive price to the U-Mass community while simultaneously providing a cooperative learning environment for students seeking experience in restaurant management.

People's Market People's Market, 328 Student Union, (413) 545-2060, www.peoplesmarket.org. "Food for People, Not for Profit." People's Market is a natural foods market providing the University community with gourmet coffee, herbal tea, bagels, an assortment of cheese, fresh fruit, and healthy snacks. People's supports local and socially conscious vendors.

b. Off-Campus Food Alternatives
There are many good restaurants and coffeehouses in the Amherst/Northampton area serving a wide variety of international and American food in every price range. For a complete guide to local restaurants and cafés, see the Valley Advocate, a free, weekly paper at www.valleyadvocate.com .