Dining Options
Welcome to dining at Central Michigan University! We’re excited to offer a dining experience designed with you in mind. Whether you're looking to eat a quick bite, enjoy delicious food or gather with friends, our spaces are here to nourish both your body and your community.
Explore our diverse dining options, tailored to fit your lifestyle right here on campus:
- Cost & meal plans: We offer flexible meal plans to suit every schedule and budget, so you can make the most of your dining experience without worrying about costs.
- Dining locations: From food courts to cafés, there’s a spot for every craving. We ensure that every meal is a satisfying one, no matter where you are on campus.
- Health & wellness: Eating well is an important part of staying healthy and feeling your best. Our wide variety of balanced options support your academic and personal well-being.
- Sustainability: We’re committed to sustainability, with eco-friendly practices, local sourcing and waste reduction efforts that help you make a positive impact while enjoying your meals.
Cost & meal plans
Your meal plan unlocks access to delicious meals, coffee, snacks and more at 12 dining locations across campus. Your meal plan is loaded directly onto your CentralCard for easy access—no need to carry extra cards or cash. Here are the three components of your meal plan and the options available to you:
Meal plan options
All residence hall students are required to have a meal plan.
Meal Plan Type | Description | Cost per semester for 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|
All-Access |
|
$2,950.00 |
Central 16 |
|
$2,950.00 |
Central 12 |
|
$2,950.00 |
What is a Meal Plan?
A meal plan is the primary way students pay for food and beverages on campus. Most meal plans include Meal Swipes and FLEX dollars, which are conveniently loaded onto your CentralCard ID. No need for additional cards or cash—just swipe to pay for your meals!
What is a Meal Swipe?
Each meal swipe gives you access to all-you-care-to-eat meals at any of the four residential dining halls on campus. Meal swipes can be used in places like Dine & Connect (East Community), The Eatery (Towers), and Food Hall at Merrill (South Community). You can swipe in for unlimited meals during your dining hall visits. Meal swipes reset weekly, so you’ll have a fresh set each week to use as you need.
What are FLEX dollars?
FLEX dollars work like a debit card and can be used at any dining location on campus, including food courts, coffee shops, markets and even national brand retailers. You can also use FLEX dollars to treat friends and family to a meal. Plus, FLEX dollars carry over from week to week throughout the semester, so you can use them at your convenience.
Dining locations
Whatever you’re craving, we have something for you! From all-you-care-to-eat dining halls to quick-stop coffee shops, there’s something for everyone across campus.
Some of our dining options include:
- Dine & Connect (East Community)
- The Eatery (Towers)
- Food Hall at Merrill (South Community)
- Starbucks (Bovee University Center)
- Ponder Coffee (Park Library and Health Professions)
- Which Wich (Grawn Hall)
- Einstein Bros. Bagels (Education and Human Services)
CMU dining taste test
Interested in what CMU dining has to offer? Check out our taste test video to see students’ honest reactions!
Health & wellness
- Healthy eating: Eating healthy, balanced meals will help you study and keep you feeling and looking your best! Balanced U is your guide to finding foods that are right for you. Signage throughout the dining halls will help you navigate the program easily. Icons will indicate whether food is balanced, sustainable, vegetarian or vegan.
- Accommodating allergies: CMU Dining aims to provide our students with the support they deserve by accommodating those with food allergies and intolerances. We understand the effort it takes to manage one’s diet with food allergies, and we want to be able to provide a safe place for those in need. Navigating your options can be done using our Dine on Campus app, where each ingredient in our recipes is listed. Our Delicious Without stations can be found in each residential dining hall and consist of recipes without the top nine allergens or gluten. To learn more, check out our allergen management guide.
- Special diets: If you have special dietary needs or an allergy, please contact us. We have a lot of options to choose from and will connect you with our Registered Dietitian (RD) and Executive Chef.
Meet your dietitian
Brianna Archangeli, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist from Bay City, MI. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from CMU and completed her dietetic internship at MSU.
Brianna specializes in counseling adolescents with eating disorders and is passionate about empowering individuals to achieve food freedom. She offers free nutrition counseling for food allergies, religious dietary restrictions, vegetarian/vegan lifestyles, disease management, athletic nutrition and general wellness.
- To schedule an appointment, email Brianna: archa1bm@cmich.edu
Sustainability
- Proudly fighting water waste: CMU utilizes a tray-less dining program to reduce waste and conserve energy. On average, it takes one gallon of water to wash three trays. With an average of 1,800-2,200 guests per day, this results in an average water savings of over 600 gallons per day. Our reusable to-go dishware program reduces our carbon footprint by reducing waste, plastic, Styrofoam production, transportation and packaging.
- Reducing our carbon footprint: We offer animal product alternatives to reduce our overall carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage a veg-forward diet. A variety of plant-based options and meat alternatives are available at every meal. With a dedicated vegan and vegetarian kitchen station and partnerships with local vendors, we are proud to offer a variety of vegan, vegetarian and veg-forward options.
- Partners in Fair Food & Fair Trade: We are a proud partner of the Fair Foods Program. The Fair Foods Program protects workers’ human rights, including safe working conditions and better wages. As a partner, we pay a Fair Food premium that goes towards the workers in the form of a bonus. In October 2018, Chartwells announced a major commitment to sourcing Fair Trade, switching to Fair Trade certified coffee and tea at all of their higher education accounts across the U.S. In addition, Chartwells plans to pursue Fair Trade status in partnership with all of their higher education accounts, according to the criteria set by Fair Trade Campaigns, which began with an initial cohort of campuses in spring 2019.
- Skip the straw: We noticed the negative impact straws have on the environment and marine life. We want to be part of the solution, so we decided to remove plastic straws from our cafés and many of our retail locations.