Updated: July 14, 2022 at 5:18 p.m.
Less than a year after announcing the construction of three all-you-can-eat dining halls in Foggy Bottom, officials announced Thursday that none will be completed in time for the start of the fall semester, delaying the deployment of GW’s new dining plan until at least September.
Officials said the all-you-can-eat dining hall in Thurston Hall is now expected to open by mid-September and Shenkman Hall’s cafeteria is now expected to open next spring, while plans for an all-you-can-eat hall in District House were abandoned last month in favor of a more traditional vendor setup. Associate Vice President for Business Services Seth Weinshel and Executive Director of GW Dining Douglas Frazier said “global supply chain issues” forced the delay of the new dining plan’s implementation in an email to students who signed up for dining hall meal plans Thursday.
“Because we have experienced some delays as a result of global supply chain issues, we will begin the 2022-23 academic year with a hybrid approach to our fall semester dining program,” the email states.
The email also states Chick-fil-A, which left District House in May, will open in the University Student Center in the summer of 2023. Weinshel said in an interview last month that various “mechanical challenges” within the student center caused delays in picking the restaurant’s new spot.
Officials said sophomores, juniors and seniors who signed up for block or unlimited dining plans will be switched to a plan where they receive $1,670 in “Dining Dollars” – funds equivalent to a dollar which will act the same as GWorld funds – for the fall semester. Freshmen who signed up for a dining plan will be required to switch to a fall semester plan that costs $2,700.
“You will not need to make any adjustments in your Campus Living e-Services portal; we will automatically adjust your Dining Dollars for you,” the email states.
GW deviated slightly from its initial plans last month, when Weinshel said in an interview that District House would not be converted into an all-you-can-eat dining hall and instead retain its status hosting vendors serving traditional meals. Officials said in the email District House will offer “stations” where students can order a meal – defined as an entree, side and drink – for $10 at lunch and $12 at dinner.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we transition to our full on-campus dining program,” the email states.
This post was updated to include the following:
This post was updated to include details about the dining plan cost for incoming freshmen.
