info.risd.edu

RISD Caters

To view menu options and place an order with RISD Caters, use our online ordering system.

After you’ve submitted your order, our team will reach out to confirm availability, the menu and the service details for your event. We’re happy to talk you through the details of planning an event on or off campus.

Whether you are looking for a custom menu or feedback about smaller details, we are here to help. Please contact us at catering@risd.edu.

RISD Dining

RISD Dining operates several on-campus venues for you to choose from. The Met is home to a variety of menu stations in an all-you-care-to-eat format, and offers expanded outdoor seating. Portfolio Café, centrally located at 15 West, features an omnivore and vegan/vegetarian entrée of the day, consistent offerings on other stations, grab-and-go options, and ingredients to stock students’ fridges.

The Watermark provides freshly prepared sushi, pastries, snacks and Borealis coffee as well as other beverages. Coffee and grab-and-go fare are also available at Carr Haus Café. The Jolly Roger Deli hosts rotating concept menus with such items as customizable rice and noodle bowls.

Dining: Venue hours (Fall 2023)

Venue hours starting 9/5

The Met
Mon–Fri, open 7 am – 9 pm
Sat & Sun, open 8 am – 8:30 pm

Portfolio Cafe
Mon-Thurs, open 7:30 am – 10 pm
Fri, open 7:30 am–9 pm
Sat & Sun, open 10 am – 8:30 pm

Watermark
Mon-Fri, open 11 am – 5 pm

Jolly Roger
Mon-Fri, open 11 am – 5 pm

Carr Haus
Mon-Fri, open 8 am – 8 pm

Dining: FAQ

Do I need to choose a meal plan if I live on campus?
In support of the residential experience, dining allotments are included with campus housing—no need to choose a plan.

You can find RISD housing package details and expanded dining plan information at housing.risd.edu.

When does student dining start (on- and off-campus students)?
Fall 2023 residential dining allotment and off-campus dining plans are activated on September 3.

What is The Met?
The Met is our unlimited access dining venue conveniently located in the first-year quad.

What is a dining point?
Dining points are equivalent to cash: one point = $1.00

What are dining points used for?
You can use dining points at Portfolio Café, Watermark, Jolly Roger Deli and Carr Haus Café.

What are Café credits?
When you make a purchase at Portfolio, Watermark or Jolly Roger, or by ordering online, you trade one meal swipe for a designated amount of credits towards your chosen item(s).

What is unlimited Met access?
This feature allows you to come and go from the Met as often as you need to.

What is the difference between a Met swipe and a Café credit?
You may use a Met swipe for access to the Met. A Café credit is a designated amount that you can use at Portfolio, Watermark or Jolly Roger, to be applied to the cost of your purchase.

What if my purchase costs more than the Café credit?
The item(s) you choose at a café may exceed the the café credit. Additionally, café pricing is based on hard costs (food and labor) and soft costs (cleaning supplies, paper, etc.), not on the amount of the meal credit.

Pricing at the cafés will fluctuate during the year as market conditions change. You can use dining points to offset any difference.

Do meals and dining points roll over from semester to semester for on-campus students with dining allotments?
Meals and dining points do not roll over from semester to semester. For 2023–24, dining values will reset on January 19, 2024.

What are the meal plan options for off-campus students?
A convenient way to access dining venues and options, the commuter dining plans for off-campus students are ideal for graduate students and commuters who want to take advantage of the value associated with having a student dining plan.

Off-campus students on the plan can use Met swipes for entry into the Met, RISD’s largest dining facility. You can also use Café credits for food and beverage purchases at Portfolio, Watermark or Jolly Roger. Dining points are great for coffee and something sweet from the Carr Haus Cafe. They can be used at any of the cafés.

See dining plans below for pricing and options.

How will I be billed for the commuter dining plan?
The commuter dining plan is for the full academic year, billed twice per year.

What is a dining block add-on?
Dining meal blocks provide a convenient way to add additional meals to the available allotment associated with housing. Students who arrive on campus early or stay late may be required to purchase dining block add-ons. Costs are as follows:

80 Meal Block: $880
50 Meal Block: $550
30 Meal Block: $330

Meals purchased in a block can be used throughout the academic year (July 1–June 30).

Can I purchase a dining block add-on if I don’t have a dining allotment or commuter dining plan?
Only for non-academic timeframes—i.e., early arrival to campus or summer stays. Brown|RISD Dual Degree students on a Brown meal plan can purchase blocks at any time.

Can dining blocks be purchased throughout the academic year?
Yes. Students may go to the Dining Accounts Office at 48 Waterman Street to purchase blocks with a credit card or via the StarRez student portal. A direct charge will be added and processed by Student Accounts.

I am a first-year Brown|RISD Dual Degree student. Where do I sign up for a dining allotment?
First-year Dual Degree students are assigned a dining allotment based on room assignment.

Can I bring a guest with me to RISD Dining venues?
Meal plans include three guest meals per semester. You must follow on-campus guest policies and protocols when you bring a guest to the Met.

Can I donate a guest meal to a student in need?
Yes, you can donate one guest meal per semester to the Swipe it Forward program, which combats food insecurity on campus. Simply request to donate at any RISD Dining register; the cashier will swipe your ID card and the guest meal can be added to the bank of meals and then provided to a RISD student in need.

What If I have a food allergy?
Please make sure to register this information with Health Services and then set up a time to meet with Maureen Young (myoung01@risd.edu) to review your specific diet needs and campus dining options. We encourage you to notify RISD Dining prior to arriving on campus ahead of the semester.

How do I know about any programming RISD Dining has scheduled?
We regularly update our social media: @risddining Instagram and Facebook. You can also find a schedule of events below.

How do I check my balance?
A cashier can provide you with your available Met swipes, Café credits and dining points balance. You can check also check at risdbucks.risd.edu.

Can I use dining points for vending machine purchases?
Vending machines take credit cards and risdbucks. Go to risdbucks.risd.edu for more details.

How do I request a refund if I withdraw or take a leave of absence from RISD?
For more information, please go to the Student Financial Services section of risd.edu.

Can I cancel a commuter dining plan?
Commuter contracts are effective for the full academic year and cannot be canceled after the first two weeks of the fall semester. Refunds are based on the policy managed by Student Accounts.

Dining: Dining plans

Dining Plans 2023–24

Dining for on-campus residents

Please see room rates on housing.risd.edu for information.

Off-campus dining plan

This plan is ideal for graduate students and commuters who want convenient access to all of our excellent venues and options at a reduced rate. Meals can be used as entry into the Met, RISD’s largest dining facility, or as a meal credit applied to food and beverage purchases at Portfolio or Jolly Roger. Dining points are great for grab and go items from the Carr Haus Cafe, or for a quick cup of coffee from Watermark. You can also apply dining points to express purchases or purchases made online from Watermark[et].

Meals and dining points do not roll over from semester to semester or from year to year.

Dining blocks

Dining meal blocks are a convenient way to add additional meals to the available allotment associated with housing, or for students arriving early or staying beyond the semester end date, and for off-campus and graduate students.

80 Meal Block: $880

50 Meal Block: $550

30 Meal Block: $330

Block plans can be used throughout the academic year (July 1–June 30).

Dining notes

• For full-time students who withdraw or take a leave from RISD after the semester begins, please go to the Student Financial Services’ section of risd.edu for more information.
  
• Commuter meal plan contracts are billed twice during the academic year.
  
• The fall 2023 residential meal allotment starts on September 3, 2023. Allotments reset on January 19, 2024.
  
• Block plans are available for purchase throughout the year.
  
• A maximum of two café credits may be used per meal period.
• Dining licenses are effective for the full academic year and cannot be canceled.
  
• Dining guest participants must abide by the same rules of conduct outlined in the Residential Life Handbook. Any violation may result in a nonrefundable termination of the plan or other disciplinary action.
  
• Brown | RISD Dual Degree students in years 2–5 of the program may purchase meal plans through the Brown portal.
  
• Please direct any meal plan questions to Dining Services at dining@risd.edu or 401 454-6642.

Dining: Dining points balance estimate calculator

To estimate your weekly dining balance during the current semester, please use our dining points balance estimate calculator.

Dining: Room and board package details

Find room and board package details on housing.risd.edu.

​Dining: ID Cards and the risdbucks programs

Meal plans are not transferable and all students are required to present their ID cards for service. Any violation may result in termination of the plan or other disciplinary action.

risdbucks is an optional prepaid debit account developed to be a convenient and safe way for students to make purchases of products and services both on and off campus (wherever you see the risdbucks logo).

Dining: Emotional support, therapy and service animal policy

As stated by law, only service animals are allowed in dining facilities on campus. Service animals must be escorted by the student at all times and may be excluded from the facility if their behavior presents a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

Students may not bring support or therapy animals into venues and will be asked to remove the animal if present.

Dining: Services guidelines

1. All RISD rules, policies and procedures apply within all of the RISD Dining facilities.
2. Off-campus meal plans are billed twice a year. Cancellations are possible only during the first two weeks of school.
3. Students must present their RISD ID card when making a meal plan purchase. ID cards presented by someone other than the person pictured on the card will be confiscated.
4. Met swipes, Café credits and dining points are nontransferable; students wishing to “treat a guest” must be present and use a guest meal.
5. Café meals and dining points may not be transferred or donated to any individual or organization unless otherwise stated by Dining Services. One guest meal per semester maybe donated through the Swipe It Forward program.
6. You may use up to two Café credits per meal (breakfast, lunch/brunch, dinner and late-night).
7. The removal of any dining hall property from any of the dining halls, including but not limited to plates, cups, forks and knives, is prohibited from any dining facility and is considered a conduct violation.
8. Food and beverage removed beyond the cashier stand without payment is considered theft. Students charged with theft will be referred to Student Conduct and Community Standards to address the issue.
9. Only RISD-recognized groups are allowed to distribute written materials or make presentations in the dining areas, with permission from the director of Dining Services (See posting policy for specific regulations Section III D).
10. Non-employees are not permitted in kitchen and food preparation areas unless under the supervision of a RISD Dining employee.

Dining: Employment

RISD Dining operates on-campus eateries and a full-service catering company. Flexible scheduling makes RISD Dining an ideal part-time position for students and other busy people. Teamwork, diversity and creativity make RISD Dining a rewarding experience for everyone. Do you possess a strong work ethic and commitment to growth, integrity and thoughtfulness? If so, please email us at dining@risd.edu to get in touch.

Student Employment jobs
RISD Dining is always on the lookout for student help for the various venues on campus. At the beginning of the year, there are usually positions available at every facility on campus. Eligible students should email the managers at these venues and submit their resume or schedule an interview.

Job opportunities are posted on Artworks. Supervisor contact information is included with each job listing.

Preference will be given to Federal or RISD work study students. Student Employment and the 2023 Student Employment handbook can provide additional information about work eligibility.

Dining: Menu

You can view menus online by downloading the FD MealPlanner app for iOS or Android devices. You can also view menus in any web browser at fdmealplanner.com. To do so just search for “RISD” to find available menus, then select the venue and meal you want to view. To view allergens, tap or click on any menu item.

We recommend signing up for an account using your RISD email address. Account benefits include being able to save your allergens as well as viewing menus in additional languages when using the browser version of the app.

Dining: Our standards

Kitchen principles
The following principles influence both our standards and our purchasing choices:

RISD Dining is an ingredient-guided, self-operated dining program that strives to give our guests an exceptional experience. We support local food interests and provide mentoring to those who wish to reflect our goals of preserving natural resources, supporting community businesses and endeavoring to maintain stewardship of the Earth and all it provides for future generations.

Culinary standards

1. Menus are created with seasonally inspired foods that are authentic, simple and delicious.
2. Foods from local sources (farms, dairies, bakeries, etc.) are given strong consideration.
   
3. We are committed to the use of sustainable and locally sourced/produced products.
   
4. We work to follow NOAA Fish Watch guidelines for choosing sustainably harvested seafood or appropriate alternatives, and source seafood through a RI-based family-owned company.
   
5. We serve house-made foods regularly at all venues.
6. We are committed to creating menus that include culturally diverse recipes and techniques.
   
7. We serve naturally raised and 100% Angus all-beef burgers.
   
8. We serve 100% all-natural chicken raised cage-free, with no MSG and no added steroids or hormones.
   
9. We are committed to providing high quality, flavorful vegan and vegetarian options.
   
10. Top allergens are identified by signage in our dining units.
    
11. The use or sale of nuts or nut products is prohibited in The Met and Portfolio Café.
    
12. To ensure entrees are served as fresh as operationally possible, our recipes are designed for à la minute preparation in batches.Desserts are prepared in house from scratch as much as operationally possible.

You are what you eat...

Ingredients

• Naturally raised (ground) beef: no antibiotics, no growth hormone, sustainably raised
• All natural chicken: no antibiotics, cage free, vegetarian diet
• Roast and deli turkey: cooperatively raised with exceptional sustainable practices for plant production by Michigan Turkey
• Canned beans: natural and low sodium, produced by Furmano’s (all varieties)
• All natural canned tomatoes: minimally processed by Stanislaus
• Vegan pasta and many filled pastas; Carla’s (Connecticut) and Joseph’s (Massachusetts)
• Organic tofu: house brand tofu
• New sugar for vegan desserts: naturally filtered
• Fryer oil: expeller pressed canola—no trans fats; RISD Dining uses soy oil for cooking.

Local products

• Schartner Farm, Exeter, RI
• Ward’s Farm, Sharon, MA
• Kitchen Garden Farm, Sunderland, MA
• Our Kids Farm, Exeter, RI
• Four Town Farm, Seekonk, MA
• Jaswell Farms, Smithfield, RI: fresh apple cider, honey, apples, seasonal vegetables
• Barden Orchards, Smithfield, RI: local fruit and seasonal vegetables
• Borealis Coffee Company, Pawtucket RI
• Cato Corners Dairy, Colchester, CT
• Narragansett Creamery, Providence, RI
• Daniele Inc., Pascoag, RI

Beverage program

• Sun Roasters Coffee is served in the Met and Portfolio. Roasted in Connecticut, certified fair trade and in support of the Rainforest Alliance.
• Borealis Coffee served in the Watermark Café, Carr Haus and Catering, roasted in Pawtucket, RI.
• Maine Root Soda, certified fair trade
• S.B. Windsor Dairy, Johnston, RI

Other locally manufactured products:

• Old Neighborhood deli meats, Massachusetts
• Iggy’s Bread, Massachusetts
• Calise Bakery, Lincoln, RI: local baker of breads and rolls
• LaSalle Bakery, RI
• Charuma Bubble Tea, Providence, RI
• The Perfect Empanada, Warren, RI
• The Ice Cream Barn, Swansea, MA

Dining: Special diets

Passionate about serving students and with safety as a top priority, RISD Dining provides reasonable accommodations for students with food allergies and for students following special diets for medical reasons or religious observance. All on-campus housing rates include a dining allotment, which can be used to obtain special meals.

While RISD Dining has limited dedicated allergen- or gluten-free preparation areas, at The Met we are able to accommodate a wide variety of special diets. The Met is best positioned with product availability, special equipment and the space needed to separately prepare meals for students with food allergies and special diets.

RISD Dining strives to meet all of our guests’ needs by working one-on-one with students and custom preparing and serving students directly. For strict allergen concerns while at The Met, please ask for a kitchen manager or culinary production supervisor (wearing the gray chef coats). They are trained to handle special diets and can assist you with ingredient information, serve you directly and custom prepare a meal that meets your special diet needs.

A team approach led by you, our informed consumer, is the best preparation for a safe school year. Meeting one-on-one with students who have individual dining needs helps us ensure that your dining experience is safe, delicious and social.

The Met and Portfolio Café are peanut- and tree nut-free and both offer vegan and vegetarian options daily.

We invite you to work directly with RISD Dining to develop a plan. Please let us know about your food allergy/special diet concern or if you require a special diet in accordance with religious practices (i.e. Kosher or Halal):

• Contact Maureen Young at myoung01@risd.edu or by calling 401 709-8508 to set up a meeting with Maureen and Executive Chef David Gould to discuss the specifics of your diet and a solution that works for you.
• Ordering options offered include:
  • Online ordering form to submit orders for pickup at The Met. This option works well for students following a gluten-free diet or for multiple allergens and/or diet restrictions. The form will be provided directly to students who have reached out to Maureen.
  • Order on-demand when you arrive at The Met by speaking with a Kitchen Manager.
• Custom meals are prepared per the student's diet specifications

We make every effort to identify nutrition data and allergen information. However, there are elements beyond our control. Manufacturers may change their product formulation without our knowledge and product availability may fluctuate. RISD Dining inputs ingredient and allergen statements from manufacturers' labels into our menu management system; this includes advisory statements such as “may contain…”, “processed in facility that also processes…”, “made on equipment with…”, etc.; that many manufacturers now list on their product labels. We recommend students with severe allergies carry their epi-pen with them at all times.

Students requiring special diets for medical reasons are encouraged to request medical accommodations. Students with approved medical accommodation for special diets have early access to room selection and may choose to live closer to The Met for convenience.

Student housing rates, with included dining allotment, are detailed at housing.risd.edu.

Dining: Ingredients and allergens

Top allergens for menu items are identified per item on the online menus. Menu signs identifying the top allergens and the proteins for each menu item are posted at each station in all RISD Dining venues. Signs also note if an item is vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free. Kitchen managers and supervisors can answer ingredient questions and assist you while you are in Dining venues.

The Met and Portfolio Café are peanut- and tree nut-free.

If you need more information or would like to discuss your special diet concerns, please contact Maureen Young at myoung01@risd.edu.

Dining: Special events

Check out RISD Dining on social media for updates on planned and popup events:

Instagram: risddining
Facebook: @RISDDining

Dining: Swipe It Forward

Swipe It Forward is a temporary assistance program that provides meals to students in need. Food insecurity is not uncommon across US college campuses, including at RISD. Students in need of meals can contact one of these campus partners:

Dining: RISD Student Food Pantry

RISD Student Food Pantry, a campus food pantry 100% supported by donations from the RISD community, aims to serve students experiencing food insecurity. With self-service, there is no need to make an appointment, simply stop by and take what you need.

Staff and faculty donations

You may donate items to the collection bin located in the lobby of 20 Washington Place.

Student donations

Students on a meal plan may donate points at any RISD Dining venue and RISD Dining will stock the shelves on the right side of the pantry with staple items that are in greatest need each week with items such as peanut butter, tuna fish, soups, rice and canned vegetables and beans. Simply let the cashier know you would like to donate points to the student food pantry; you may choose to donate 1, 3 or 5 points per donation up to four donations per year.

Location

The student food pantry is located on the third floor of 20 Washington Place, inside the break room. Take the elevator to the third floor, turn left out of the elevator and take your first left and then right into the break room.

Hours

RISD Student Food Pantry is currently open 8 am–5 pm.