What are the dining locations and hours?
- Marquis Dining Hall: Monday – Thursday: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Friday: 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Sunday: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Upper Farinon Dining Hall: Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Lower Farinon: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 1 a.m. | Saturday & Sunday: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
- Gilbert’s Cafe: Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Friday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Skillman Coffee Shop Cafe: Monday – Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Sunday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- ECO Cafe: Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Simon’s Market: 24/7, except Monday from 2 a.m – 6 a.m.
See a description of each dining venue, hours, and menus.
Have the dining hours been reduced with the transition to the new dining company, Parkhurst?
No, the number of hours available for dining has not been reduced. The blocks of time (not the amount of hours) each location is open, though, have changed based on student feedback received on a survey conducted this past spring (prior to Parkhurst arriving on campus). For example, during the past two years, only Upper Farinon was open on the weekend. Now, based upon student feedback last semester, alternate dining venues are open each weekend day—Upper Farinon is open on Saturday and Marquis Hall is open on Sunday.
In a message shared with students, faculty, staff, and parents on Sept. 1, 2023, Lafayette Dining provided information on this topic.
Have any new dining venues been introduced?
Yes, Simon’s Market opened this semester, offering flexible and convenient 24-hour service and a variety of food options.
How does the payment process at Simon’s Market work?
Guests can scan their Transact app at the entrance (or use a credit card), select a payment method, and then browse the freshly-prepared foods, snacks, and beverages available. The technology detects what a shopper removes from, or returns to, a shelf, so when the desired items are gathered, the person can leave the store and be automatically charged for the items selected without waiting in any line.
Have the prices in Simon’s Market been adjusted?
Prices on many items sold at Simon’s Market have been lowered and will continue to be reviewed and adjusted as necessary.
If I need assistance with a Simon's Market charge or meal swipe, who should I contact?
Please email dining@lafayette.edu with complete details and a copy of the receipt. Someone from the Lafayette Dining team will respond within 24 hours.
What food options are available in the dining halls?
Dining hall menus are customized by the Executive Chef on a weekly basis to provide menu options that change every day and for every meal period to ensure variety and quality. The weekly menus for each dining hall are posted to the dining website for easy access. Specifically, guests will find:
- Vegan and vegetarian options: These are available in each dining hall and are clearly labeled vegan or vegetarian.
- Halal options: All chicken served in Marquis and Upper Farinon dining halls is Halal.
- Comfort Foods: Thanks to student feedback, a variety of comfort foods returned to the menu in Lower Farinon the second week of this semester and are available via meal swipes, including chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, green bean fries, tots, fries, and vegan ‘chicken’ tenders.
- Grab and go options: Additional options have been added to Lower Farinon.
In a message shared with students, faculty, staff, and parents on Sept. 1, 2023, Lafayette Dining provided information on this topic.
What other enhancements have been made to accommodate students’ dining needs?
The following improvements to the dining experience have been in place since the second week of the semester:
- Simon’s Market: This new market is open 24/7 and offers a wide variety of prepared meal options, grocery items, snacks, and beverages for convenient self-checkout with a meal swipe, Pard dollars, or credit card.
- Gilbert’s Cafe and Lower Farinon menu additions: Favorite campus items like chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, green bean fries, and vegan ‘chicken’ tenders returned to the menu thanks to student requests.
- Mobile order app: Additional meal-swipe options have been added to the menu listed on the mobile order app for Gilbert’s Cafe and Lower Farinon.
- Meal swipes: Students can now use as many of their meal plan swipes within a meal period as they like. This is in addition to guest meal swipes.
- Grab and go options: Additional options are now available at ECO Cafe and Skillman Cafe.
- Improved labeling: Additional steps have been taken to ensure that labels clearly and consistently show if items contain allergens. Students with an allergen and/or dietary restrictions are encouraged to email dining@lafayette.edu so a member of the dining team can meet one-on-one, offer assistance, and develop a good dining plan best suited to the individual.
What locations allow the use of meal swipes?
Meal plan swipes can be used for a wide variety of meal exchange bundles at all seven campus dining locations (the number of meal swipes used by students to date this academic year is up 2.8% from last year). Thanks to student feedback, the previous limitation on using multiple meal swipes within a meal period has been eliminated so that students can now use as many swipes in a meal period or day as they like. In addition, starting in September, students can now use one meal swipe per week at Miss Jackson’s Kitchen.
In a message shared with students, faculty, staff, and parents on Sept. 1, 2023, Lafayette Dining provided information on this topic.
Can meal swipes be used for made-to-order and grab-and-go items?
Yes. Lower Farinon, Gilbert’s Cafe, and ECO Cafe offer a variety of both made-to-order and grab-and-go food items available for a meal exchange swipe. In addition, Skillman’s and Simon’s Market feature a variety of prepared, grab-and-go meal options available for a meal exchange swipe. Additional menu items have recently been added to meal exchange choices for both made-to-order and grab-and-go meals. Those additions also expanded the menu options available through the Transact mobile ordering app. See a description of each dining venue, hours, and menus.
Why is only one dining hall available on the weekend?
On weekends, campus dining venues typically see about a 60% reduction in meal swipes. In the past two years, only Upper Farinon was open on the weekend. Based on student feedback on a survey conducted this past spring, the College implemented opening alternating dining venues each weekend starting this semester. Specifically, Upper Farinon is open on Saturday and Marquis Hall is open on Sunday. Dining traffic in all venues is tracked and schedule changes are made as needed.
Has there been insufficient seating in Marquis Hall?
Marquis Hall was very busy during dinner on Sunday, Sept. 17. Dining staff, who strive to ensure available seating, observed that some students chose to sit on the floor rather than use available seating. To help prevent any such issues in the future, the athletics training table has been moved from the Fleck Wing to the Clay Ketcham Room on Sunday evenings, which opens dozens of additional seats in Marquis Hall. Dining staff will continue to monitor usage numbers in the dining halls over the weekends and if necessary will open additional spaces to ensure students always have a place to sit and dine.
What special steps are taken by Parkhurst to ensure high-quality food preparation?
Here are a few of Parkhurst’s Gold Standards for food preparation:
- Entree meats and seafood are prepared fresh, including chefs doing the roasting, grilling, and baking in the kitchens.
- Soups and sauces are made from scratch using housemade stocks.
- All deli meats are sliced daily in the kitchens.
- Pizzas are made by hand with fresh, house-made pizza dough.
- All prepared salads and deli salads on salad bars are made in-house.
- Fresh, cage-free shell eggs are served every day.
- Dairy products are sourced from local and regional family-owned dairy farms.
- Third-party certifying organizations are used to ensure that it is sourcing the most sustainable seafood.
Why were the cubbies added to Gilbert’s Cafe and Lower Farinon?
Both locations receive a high volume of orders, particularly during the common lunch hour. The cubbies were added to decrease wait times and give students an easy, organized, and efficient way to pick up the food they order at the cafe and Lower Farinon. Wait times are tracked to provide the best possible level of service and have been significantly shorter this semester than last year.
Does Parkhurst Dining meet regularly with Lafayette student leaders?
Yes, the Lafayette Dining team meets regularly with a Lafayette Student Government ad hoc dining committee to receive their feedback, share information, and address emerging questions or concerns.
How does Parkhurst collect feedback and share updates and changes?
The Lafayette Dining team knows that food is very personal, and the team is committed to offering each guest a great dining experience. The team is available to answer questions or provide more information through all of the methods below:
How do you accommodate those who have particular dietary and/or health needs?
Parkhurst provides a wide variety of options for those desiring gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and vegetarian meals. Specifically, at all meals within the dining halls, foods free from the top nine food allergens and from gluten are available. Parkhurst will also work directly with students who have dietary restrictions to meet their needs. Students and guests are encouraged and welcome to contact the dining team at dining@lafayette.edu if they have special dietary needs or related questions.
Is the food available in all dining spaces properly labeled?
Parkhurst is committed to labeling all food offered accurately and clearly, including to support students’ individual dietary needs. At the start of the semester, not all food was labeled as precisely as it needed to be, and those issues have been addressed. If anyone sees any item that might be labeled more clearly, please contact dining@lafayette.edu so that can be addressed promptly.
In a message shared with students, faculty, staff, and parents on Sept. 1, 2023, Lafayette Dining provided information on this topic.
What do the various labels on the food mean?
The graphic below shows the meaning of each term on the food labels in the dining halls:
Is Halal chicken available?
All chicken served in Marquis Hall and Upper Farinon dining halls is certified Halal. There are various other Halal-friendly options rotating throughout the dining locations and marked with the purple H icon.
Where can I find gluten-free options?
Both Marquis Hall and Upper Farinon offer gluten-free entrees at every meal and have designated gluten-free stations. All retail dining locations also offer a variety of gluten-free options at every meal. Gluten-free options, which are available at numerous stations throughout the dining locations, are marked with a GF icon.
Do I have to pay more for gluten-free options?
No, there is no additional charge for gluten-free options for those using the meal swipe exchange program. Additional gluten-free options continue to be added to the meal-equivalency program.
Can I buy gluten-free options with Pard Dollars?
Yes, retail locations offer additional gluten-free options available through Pard Dollars.
What vegan and vegetarian options are available?
Both Marquis Hall and Upper Farinon feature a V2 station, which only serves vegan and vegetarian menu features. Vegetarian options are marked with a coral-colored ‘V’ icon, and vegan options are marked with a green ‘VE’ icon.
Why do certain student-athletes receive additional meals?
Because student-athletes typically have specific dietary requirements related to the extensive demands training and competition place on their bodies, training tables are standard across NCAA Division I athletics programs, including at Lafayette. The cost of the training table dining experience is paid for by a donation from a generous benefactor of the College.
How many students has Lafayette Dining met with to discuss dietary or other restrictions?
In the first few weeks of this semester, the Lafayette Dining team met with more than 40 individual students and families to learn about each student’s dining needs and preferences and offer personalized guidance on the variety of dining options available. The dining team is glad to be of service through those meetings and invites anyone interested in scheduling one to reach out at dining@lafayette.edu.
Can you tell me about the source of food used in campus dining and how it is prepared?
In every dining hall, Parkhurst uses high-quality and fresh food, obtaining it locally through their “Know Your Source” and “Forged Partner” programs whenever possible. The Executive Chef focuses on from-scratch cooking and creates customized menus specifically for the Lafayette community.
Parkhurst proudly partners with the following local vendors:
- J. Ambrogi Foods, Thorofare, N.J.
- Harrisburg Dairies, Harrisburg, Pa.
- Happy Valley Meat, Brooklyn, N.Y.
- LaFarm, Easton, Pa.
- Sushi House, Inc. (GoWasabi), Palisades Park, N.J.
- Righteous Felon, West Chester, Pa.
- Granola Factory, Bethlehem, Pa.
- Scholl Orchards LLC, Bethlehem, Pa.
- Pastificio, Easton, Pa.
- Butter Valley Harvest, Bally, Pa.
- Clusters Popcorn, Bethlehem, Pa.
- Khanisa’s Pudding, Allentown, Pa.
What are the current sustainability initiatives of the dining program?
The dining team has been meeting consistently with members of the Office of Sustainability to coordinate efforts and develop meaningful programming that furthers Lafayette College’s sustainability goals. Related initiatives include:
- Reusable ‘Green to Go’ containers: This program was introduced to campus in August. Each student was offered a new container as part of their meal plan, allowing them the convenience and flexibility of using it for a take-out meal from either dining hall while reducing single-use plastic packaging.
- Post-consumer composting: In partnership with the Office of Sustainability, students are now actively participating in the composting process when they are scraping plates at the dining hall dish returns. This food waste is then transported to the new composting vessel on Bushkill Drive. This has increased the volume of food being composted and awareness of the composting process.
- Leopard Leftovers program: A campus initiative to reduce food waste and tackle food insecurity on campus, the Leopard Leftovers program connects students to catering events and allows them 15 minutes to gather food if they want before it is disposed.
- Catering event composting: Food waste from catering events is now composted along with the food waste from dining halls. Plates are scraped into buckets that are transferred to the College’s new composting vessel.
- Local Sourcing from LaFarm: Fresh produce grown at LaFarm is purchased for use in campus dining locations. Using these hyper-local ingredients contributes to the College’s sustainable food loop, supports LaFarm’s education and research efforts, and helps ensure an array of fresh food on the menus.
Were all employees retained from Bon Appetit?
Yes. All hourly Lafayette Dining employees had the opportunity to join the Parkhurst Dining staff—at the same or higher pay rate. Parkhurst also maintained the same level of seniority and vacation time for every dining employee that they had with Bon Appetit.
Are Parkhurst employees provided breaks?
Yes, all Parkhurst employees (full-time and hourly) receive breaks. Scheduled breaks may be timed differently than they were with Bon Appetit, but regular breaks for all employees are a standard part of Parkhurst’s practices.
What dining staff feedback has been collected and how are concerns or issues addressed?
Parkhurst’s COO and Vice President of Operations have been on campus during the last few weeks. This is a common practice when Parkhurst enters into a new partnership. In response to some of the concerns raised by dining staff members, representatives from Parkhurst’s HR team have also spent time on campus meeting with employees individually and during listening sessions. In addition, Parkhurst’s management has reiterated to dining employees that their feedback is valuable and they have many avenues for communicating with Parkhurst.
The onsite management team is now holding daily dining staff huddles and working side-by-side with dining staff to discuss questions and where needed provide additional training and support. As a result of these conversations, for example, Parkhurst has provided employees with additional equipment, including anti-fatigue mats to help dining staff be more comfortable and effective; stressed the importance of taking breaks; and increased awareness on where to find and how to use protective equipment. In addition, Parkhust has addressed the needs of individual dining employees with additional equipment.
How can I customize a mobile order?
Through the Transact mobile app, anyone can modify or customize most signature dining items to their liking. The app also provides an option to specify any allergens, dietary restrictions, or special requests that should be communicated to the dining staff.
Why has the mobile ordering system experienced so many issues?
Due to a technical upgrade, global outages have affected Transact, the College’s mobile ordering app vendor. At this point, Transact is confident the issues have been resolved. They have assured us that they will continue to monitor the system’s performance and promptly address problems should they arise again.
