Dining

RISD Dining believes that the relationships built by and within our department are the key to our success. We begin internally, by focusing on home/work life balance and contentment for our staff, then branch outward to our students, campus partners, local vendors, farmers, and charitable organizations. This network allows our department to provide space for a break from the daily grind and an opportunity to focus on the warmth that commensality and enlightened hospitality brings to everyone’s busy schedules.

RISD Dining is an ingredient-based department with a commitment to buying from New England farms, vendors, and start-ups. We write seasonally-inspired menus that showcase produce from New England, clean ingredients, classical culinary techniques, and global flavors. We are proud to be a founding member and longstanding partner of Farm Fresh RI.

Our decision making is rooted in the sustainability of both the greater RISD and New England communities. RISD Dining prioritizes products and practices that have a minimal environmental impact at every level of our operation.

The role of RISD Dining within the community relies heavily on the symbiosis of art, design and food. As such, we regularly critique the structure of our meal plans, the presentation of our menu items, the service style and offerings of our venues, and the aesthetic of our spaces to ensure they are in alignment with the needs and expectations of our student body.

First-year students enjoy unlimited access to The Met, RISD’s “unlimited access” facility. You may choose to use five cafe credits weekly at any participating dining venue.

Students may also purchase items using the 225 points they receive each semester and/or with a one-time $50 RISD Bucks credit. This risdbucks credit works at all dining venues and vending machines on campus. 

The first-year allotment also includes three guest meal credits per semester.

The dining allotment for the second-year residence package includes:

• unlimited access to The Met. 
• five cafe credits per week for use at participating campus dining venues.
• 225 dining points per semester.
• three guest meal credits per semester.

All junior/senior/grad apartment rooms come with 30 Met swipes, 100 cafe credits, 600 dining points and three guest meal credits per semester. Students in these rooms can also purchase the following add-ons, with rates as listed:

• Add Block A (80 Meal Credits) – $920
• Add Block B (50 Meal Credits) – $575
• Add Block C (30 Meal Credits) – $345

*Add-on block meal swipes are good for both semesters but do not roll over year to year.

** If you eat in The Met often, you may be interested in a full flex allotment. This allotment includes 105 Met swipes, 150 cafe credits, 500 dining points and three guest meal credits per semester for an additional $1,150 per semester. You may request this change to your dining allotment by completing a full flex request form by September 20, 2024.

This plan is ideal for graduate students and commuters who want convenient access to dining options on campus at a reduced rate. Meals can be used as entry to The Met or as a meal credit applied to food and beverage purchases at Portfolio or Jolly Roger.

You may choose to use dining points on grab-and-go items from the Carr Haus Cafe or for coffee and pastries from Watermark. You can also apply dining points to purchases made in our express or virtual co/op market.

You can choose from one of two commuter dining plans, details as follows:

Meals and points do not roll over from semester to semester.

Dining meal blocks allow you to add additional meals to the available allotment associated with housing, or if you are arriving early or staying beyond the semester end date.

Meal block add-on costs are as follows:

• 80-meal block: $920
• 50-meal block: $575
• 30-meal block: $345

Students can use block plans throughout the academic year (July 1–June 30).

You may choose to open a prepaid Risd Bucks debit account. Risd Bucks offer a convenient and safe way to purchase products and services both on and off campus, including at all RISD dining venues.