The RITz.
K. Nicole Murtagh

With contributions by Liz Shaw.

You know that photo ID you had to get? That orange bit of plastic is your key to the finest cuisine on campus. Each time this card gets swiped for food on campus, the amount is deducted from your balance. So is this balance actual money or part of a meal plan? Use this guide to help you navigate the RIT dining system, demystified.

Meal Plans

There is definitely a hierarchy in what currency you use at RIT. On the lowest rung is the use of meal plans. With plans, you are allotted a certain amount of meals per week, most of which are spent at Gracie’s, RIT’s ‘all you can eat’ buffet on the residential side of campus. Once you walk up the ramp and have your card swiped, one of your meals will be deducted from your weekly plan. Then you are free to grab a takeout container or plate and go absolutely bananas on Mongo’s Grill.

Because of this time restriction, it’s not advised to frequently go up and pay for, say, a small snack—unless you have cash, a credit or debit card, food debit, or Tiger Bucks. The only drawback to paying with cash, credit, or debit card is that you have to pay the sales tax whenever you make a prepared food purchase.

Quiznos Sub in the Dining Commons.
Chris Valites

Food debit and Tiger Bucks

Food debit and Tiger Bucks are friends to the starving student. Both methods of payment work like a regular bank debit card. You have an account balance (which can be monitored and refilled at http://my.rit.edu under the Financial tab) to back everything you pay for. All you have to do when paying for something is hand over your photo ID and tell the cashier “debit” or “Tiger Bucks.” Debit is included with some meal plans, so you may have money to spare on your account right now.

The crucial difference between the two is that the money on Tiger Bucks does rollover to the next quarter. If you have $200 in Tiger Bucks at the end of the quarter, you’ll still have it next quarter. With food debit, you can kiss that cash goodbye. Luckily, RIT is considering changing this system, so your food debit may be safe in the near future.

The only eatery on campus that does not accept food debit is Java Wally’s, a coffee shop in the Wallace Library (building 5). On the other hand, they do accept Tiger Bucks. This helpful form of payment can even be used at several off-campus businesses, a list of which can be viewed at http://finweb.rit.edu/diningservices/tigerbucks/locations.html.

It may seem logical to ditch the meal plan and switch to an “all debit” plan, but you’ll need to be of second year standing before that is possible. Once you’ve hit second year status, you can change to all debit by contacting Dining Services.

Meal Plans

Reporter recommends Any 10 Plus, a good balance of Gracie’s meals and debit. To change your meal plan, log onto https://finweb.rit.edu/diningservices/forms/ResidentMealPlanChangeForm.

Beanz coffee shop.
Chris Valites

Okay, now where can I eat?

There are several places to eat at during your time at RIT, and they tend to be divided up into what is close to the dorms and what is close to the academic side. Gracie’s is the aforementioned cafeteria on the first floor of Grace Watson. Beanz is right across from its entrance and serves delicious fruit smoothies and coffee.

The College Grind serves almost the same food as Beanz and is located nearby, in the Student Development Center (SDC). Upstairs from the College Grind is the Shumway Dining Commons, known around campus as the “Commons.”

What few upperclassmen knew as freshmen is that you can place an order with Commons online at http://rit.webfood.com for pickup or delivery. The choices are a bit more restricted if you use this method, but you can order food from the comfort of your dorm room, so who’s complaining?

The sign for Gracie's.
Chris Valites

Sol’s Underground and the Corner Store are the two convenience stores on the dorm side and are located in the basement of Sol Heumann and Nathaniel Rochester Hall, respectively. Sol’s has the best giant chocolate chip cookies and stocks more toiletries and magazines than any other place on that side of campus. Additionally, Sol’s offers wraps, pizzas, and quesadillas. The Corner Store is the best place to purchase microwavable meals or fruit for those times when you don’t want to walk all over the place for an apple.

The academic side eateries are as much a part of RIT’s culture as the classrooms are. Everyone knows that the Brick City Café on the first floor of the Student Alumni Union (SAU) makes absolutely divine fresh omelets. They’re even open for orders until 10 a.m. every weekday! The Café is also a favorite lunch spot for professors and administrators. Right by the entrance to Brick City is Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, which needs no introduction.

Brand new additions to the SAU are the Artesano Bakery and Café and Bytes on the Run convenience store. The bakery offers panini sandwiches and numerous baked goodies, and the convenience store carries a selection of supplies and meal items.

Crossroads.
Chris Valites

One floor down in the SAU is the RITz Sportszone, which serves scrumptious wings and paninis. It is by far the most comfortable place to sit and eat. With several large screen TVs that always seem to be tuned to a reality show, you can catch some drama in between classes. In the wintertime, the RITz also hosts free tailgating parties for the Men’s Hockey games.

Java Wally’s is located on the first floor of the Wallace Library and is a franchise of the local downtown coffee shop called Java’s. Their PMS cookies are chocolaty and delicious whether you need a pick me up from a frustrating day or just have a hankering for chocolate. Java’s accepts cash, credit cards, debit cards, or Tiger Bucks, but not food debit.

The Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences (building 70) has its own little shop named the Deli at Golisano where you can buy wraps and other small snacks, which is convenient for those of you who don’t plan on going outside much during Rochester’s more frigid months.

Java Wally's.
Chris Valites

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and want to make a walk over to Crossroads (about two blocks), you’ll find a lot more selection. Crossroads is a combination convenience store and regular campus eatery with a kiosk for Chinese food, sandwiches, pasta, salads, and grilled food.

Park Point also contains some hidden gems, such as a café within Barnes & Noble, a trendy music-filled bistro known as lovin’ cup, and a restaurant serving asian cuisine called Wok With You. The full list can be found at http://parkpointrit.com/Dining. With your RIT ID, there’s even free transportation to Park Point from RIT’s Gleason Circle, a bus stop located behind Wallace Library. For bus schedules, check out http://finweb.rit.edu/grms/pats/transportation/bus.html.

So, that is the abridged version of eating on campus. I’ll leave you to your own devices for discovering more of the places at Park Point and throughout the area. After all, stumbling into Jay’s Diner at 4 a.m. should always be a memorable experience.

Updated 8/26/2009: Modified to reflect recent Dining Services changes. References to Sandella's and trays at Gracie's removed. Sol's changed to Sol's Underground, and Sandella's at GCCIS now Deli at Golisano. Added the Artesano Bakery and Café and Bytes on the Run. Note that descriptions of these updated stores may not fully reflect their new focus.