Dining Hall

Connecticut Dining Hall Earns 2026 Greenest University Restaurant Award

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Contact: Erin Turnbull
Green Restaurant Association
P: (617) 737-4425
E: media@dinegreen.com

 

UConn Earns 3 Prestigious 2026 Green Restaurant Awards

2026 Green Restaurant Award logo for Greenest University RestaurantMansfield, CT (April 22, 2026) – The University of Connecticut (UConn) has two Certified Green Restaurants® that have won 2026 Green Restaurant Awards™ from the Green Restaurant Association. Connecticut Hall has been named the 2026 Greenest University Restaurant, earning more GreenPoints™ than any other college or university dining location. In addition, Connecticut Hall has earned the 2026 Chemical & Pollution Reduction Award, and Putnam Dining has earned the 2026 Water Conservation Award. With all eight dining halls earning 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant® certification, UConn’s dining locations have achieved over 2,900 GreenPoints™ by implementing more than 780 environmental steps across the Green Restaurant Association’s rigorous certification standards.

The Green Restaurant Association is a national nonprofit organization that has helped restaurants and caterers become more environmentally sustainable since 1990 through its transparent, science-based certification standards. Restaurants and caterers earn GreenPoints™ across eight environmental categories: Energy, Water, Waste, Reusables & Disposables, Chemicals & Pollution, Food, Building & Furnishing, and Education & Transparency. Each location must meet a minimum number of GreenPoints™ to achieve certification, providing a transparent measure of environmental accomplishments and a pathway to continued progress. Each Earth Month, the Green Restaurant Association announces the Green Restaurant Awards™ to recognize restaurants and caterers making significant strides in improving their environmental impact.

UConn’s dining halls stand out for their comprehensive sustainability efforts. Connecticut Hall earned 412.85 GreenPoints™ in total, with 46.93 of those GreenPoints™ earned in the Water category, more than any other Certified Green Restaurant®.  Connecticut Hall is saving 668,400 gallons of water every year, the equivalent of 61.3 backyard swimming pools. This dining hall reuses greywater for mechanical operations, has a boilerless steamer, and uses high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valves. 100% of the dining hall’s lights are LEDs, which use significantly less energy and last longer than other bulbs. Connecticut Hall also offers reusable dishware, keeping waste out of landfills.

Putnam Dining earned 62.05 GreenPoints™ in the Chemicals & Pollution category, more than any other Certified Green Restaurant®. This dining hall is located in a brownfield redevelopment building. Putnam Dining also uses green hand soaps and green cleaners.

“UConn’s Certified Green Restaurants® exemplify what it means to be a leader in sustainable foodservice,” said Michael Oshman, CEO and founder of the Green Restaurant Association. “Earning three awards in the Green Restaurant Awards™ reflects a deep and ongoing commitment to environmental excellence. Their work shows what is possible when sustainability is integrated into every aspect of operations.”

By combining water conservation, green chemicals, and other sustainability initiatives, UConn continues to set a high standard for environmentally responsible dining in Connecticut and across the United States.

About the Green Restaurant Association

The Green Restaurant Association is a national non-profit organization that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurants® mark in the country. Since 1990, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant® movement and has been the leading voice in the industry, encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand and green their operations through transparent, science-based certification standards. With their turnkey certification system, the GRA has made it easy for thousands of restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable in a profitable manner. The GRA has been featured on CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, and in The New York Times, and The Washington Post. For more information, visit www.dinegreen.com.

 

Winter Weather Dining Guidelines

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DINING HALLS: All dining halls remain open during inclement weather when the University has a full closure, delayed opening, or early closure. If there is a full closure or night classes are cancelled, there will be no late-night dining, and Grab & Go’s close at 7:15pm.

RETAIL LOCATIONS: Retail operations may have modified hours or close. Updates will be posted to the retail hours page and to Dining social as soon as possible.

What’s Open: Jan 16-19th, 2026

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DINING HALLS – WHAT’S OPEN

  • Friday, January 16th – South Dining Hall open
    • Breakfast: 7-9:30am
    • Lunch: 11am-2:15pm
    • Dinner: 4-7:15pm
  • Saturday, January 17th 
    • Breakfast: 7-9:30am – South open
    • Brunch: 9:30am-2:15pm – South open
    • Brunch: 10:30am-2:15pm – Northwest open
    • Dinner: 4-7:15pm – Northwest & South open
  • Sunday, January 18th – Spring Meal Plans Begin
    • Breakfast: 8-9:30am – South open
    • Brunch: 9:30am-2:15pm – South open
    • Brunch: 10:30am-2:15pm – Northwest, CT Hall, Putnam, Gelf open
    • Dinner: 4-7:15pm – South*, Northwest*, Putnam, CT Hall, Gelf, McMahon open
    • *South & Northwest open for Late Night dining until 10pm on Sunday
    • North & Whitney closed on January 18th

Spring semester hours start Monday, January 19th. All dining halls will be open their normal Monday hours.

If you are returning before the 18th for reasons associated with a group, org, dept, sport, etc., please check in with a staff member within your group regarding meal arrangements.

RETAIL LOCATIONS – WHAT’S OPEN

All dining locations on regional campuses are closed Jan 17-19, 2026.

Saturday, January 17th

  • Union Street Market: 11-4:30pm
  • Market Cafe: 10am-2:30pm
  • Dairy Bar: 11am-6pm

Sunday, January 18th

  • Union Street Market: 11:30am-9pm
  • Convenience Store: Noon-9pm
  • Market Cafe: 10am-4pm
  • Dairy Bar: 11am-6pm

Monday, January 19th –  No Classes

  • Union Street Market: 11:30am-9pm
  • Market Cafe: 8am-4pm
  • The Coop: 11:30am-7pm
  • Convenience Store: 9am-9:30pm
  • Mango: Noon-8pm – Smoothies Menu Only
  • Dairy Bar: 11am-6pm

2025 Thanksgiving Break Info

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For Thanksgiving break, meal plans will temporarily shut down after dinner on Friday, November 21, 2025. If you have a residential meal plan (custom, value, ultimate) and will be on campus during Thanksgiving break (Saturday, Nov 22 through Saturday, Nov 29th), please use our online form to sign up for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner on the days that you will be on campus. There is no additional cost for these meals. Guests can be admitted to the dining hall with Husky Bucks or with credit/debit cards. Only one dining hall will be open throughout the break. Community Meal Plans can still be used during break. All Dining locations will be closed on Thanksgiving Day (Nov 27th). Details at dining.uconn.edu/thanksgiving-break

 

Fall ’25 Dining Info

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Welcome to UConn!

Here are some Dining quick tips and reminders for the beginning of the semester.

  • New to campus? Review our Dining Tips for New Huskies
  • Fall semester meal plans begin on Thursday, August 21
  • What’s open during move-in days?
    • We’ll have modified hours due to staggered move-in and WOW activities.
    • Not all dining halls will be open on Thursday, Aug 21st
    • Check all hours at dining.uconn.edu/hours
  • Bring your OneCard with you to gain access to the dining halls.
  • Guests during Move-In: Students can bring guests with them to the dining hall during move-in for a meal
    • use your points, flex passes (1 per guest), Husky Bucks on your OneCard to admit your guest(s)
    • guests are welcome to dine at the dining hall w/out a student – see guest prices
    • guests are welcome throughout the year, not just move-in
  • Did your housing situation change this summer? If you changed from a dorm/suite with a meal plan to an on-campus apartment/off campus living your meal plan is automatically removed from the fee bill.
    • If you still want to access the dining halls with a plan, please review your options at dining.uconn.edu/storrs
    • Our Community Meal Plan can provide a discount per meal vs paying with credit/debit/points/Husky Bucks
  • Follow us on social! Stay up-to-date on changes in hours, reminders, menu specials, events, and giveaways!
  • What’s on the menu? The easiest way to check our menus on the go is through the myUConn app
    • download it from the Apple or Play store
  • Change Your Meal Plan – If you decide you want to upgrade or downgrade your meal plan, you have until Friday, September 12 to do so.
  • If you have allergies or dietary concerns and haven’t talked to our staff this summer, please review the necessary steps to get started as soon as possible.
  • Busy Schedule – If you are finding that your schedule with class, work, sports, etc, consistently interferes with getting to the dining hall for one of your meals, please review our to-go program.
  • More Flex Pass Options: We’ve added more flex pass options this semester! Check out all the details on how and where to use flex passes and points.
  • Food Insecurity – If you know of a student who is experiencing food insecurity, please guide them to the following resources:
  • Thanksgiving Break: https: dining.uconn.edu/thanksgiving-break

 

Dining Tips for New Huskies

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Here are some tips to help our newest Huskies navigate Dining on the Storrs campus! We also have a FAQ page at dining.uconn.edu/faq

  • Don’t forget your OneCard/Make sure it is activated – Your OneCard is needed for many things on campus, including getting into the dining hall! It also contains your flex passes, points, & Husky Bucks to pay for items in our cafes/eateries. Please bring it with you. If you haven’t activated your card yet, please do so before visiting any of our locations: go to onecard.uconn.edu – once you are logged in, click “Navigate” in the left menu bar, and then select Deactivate/Activate card.
  • Explore Different Dining Halls – We have 8!! Plus 5 cafes, 5 fast casual eateries, & a food truck. Each dining hall has a different vibe & a different menu. Use the myUConn app or our website to view our daily menus.
  • Lines/Plan Accordingly – For the first couple of weeks, give yourself extra time. Getting ready, waiting for the bus, walking to class, it all adds up. The beginning of the semester is always busy in the dining halls as students tend to dine around the same time before weekly activities get going.
  • Eating with the Pack or Solo – New Huskies are all in the same situation, and the beginning of the semester is a great time to knock on doors and invite others to a meal. However, don’t skip a meal if no one is available. You will see Huskies every day who choose to dine solo. For many, dining solo is a chance to slow down, decompress, and/or think about the day/evening ahead.
  • Residential Meal Plans have Unlimited Access to the Dining Halls – we have no restrictions on how many times you can go into the dining halls per day or meal service.
  • Put the Upgrade/Downgrade Deadline in your Phone/Calendar –  If you decide you want to upgrade or downgrade your residential semester meal plan, the deadline is always 3 weeks from the start of service. For the fall semester, the deadline is Friday, September 12th. Change your plan at dining.uconn.edu/change-your-plan
  • Guests – your guests are welcome in the dining hall during move-in and all year long. If you have a residential meal plan, you can swipe in guests with flex passes and/or points. You can also use Husky Bucks and debit/credit. More info can be found on our guest page.
  • No Taste for Waste – Many years ago, we removed trays from the dining halls to help reduce food waste and water usage. Help us continue to reduce waste by taking less. Take a look around the servery and then pick what you want. Still hungry? You can always go back for more.
  • Stay Informed – Menu specials, changes in hours, deadlines, events, giveaways..we have a lot to share throughout the semester. We share this info on our social accounts, TVs, posters, messages in Daily Digest, and on the Dining channel on the myUConn app. @uconndining on FB, IG, TikTok, Threads, X
  • Talk with Our Staff – Our staff are happy to help. If you can’t find something, have a concern, or any other kind of request, don’t hesitate to approach our staff. Our management staff wear nametags, and every dining hall has a sign at the entrance with pictures of the managers. You can also reach out at dining.uconn.edu/questions-and-comments

Different Dining Scenarios

  • Did you pick a residential meal plan for a dorm/suite over the summer but now you are assigned an on-campus apartment or choosing to live off campus? Because meal plans are not required for students in on-campus apartments or off-campus, your meal plan was cancelled. If you are looking for meal plan options before your first day of classes, please visit dining.uconn.edu/storrs
  • You have a food allergy or dietary restriction, and haven’t spoken to anyone in CSD or Dining yet. Please do so as soon as possible. We want to make sure you are comfortable with navigating our facilities as soon as possible. Please review our information on the steps you need to take at dining.uconn.edu/dietary
  • You’re unsure of how to use/where to use flex passes and dining points. We have a page with all the details you need dining.uconn.edu/flex-pass-and-points. We know the first couple of weeks are overwhelming with events, info, and classes. You’ll eventually get the hang of it all! Our staff are always happy to help answer your questions. Your RA and WOW leader can also assist you.
  • You’re finding that your schedule (work, classes, sport, etc) consistently interferes with getting to the dining hall during our hours of operation for a meal. Learn more about our to-go meal program. This includes students who are based in Storrs but have some classes in Avery Point or Hartford.

Donate a Flex Pass at Give-A-Meal on Mar 27

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Our Give-A-Meal event will take place at dinner at all eight dining halls on Wednesday, March 27th.

Students with a residential meal plan can donate one flex pass when they swipe in for dinner. All proceeds will go towards the Students First Fund through the Dean of Students Office. The Students First Fund assists students during a time of need (i.e. books; clothing; food).

If you don’t have a residential meal plan but want to help your fellow Huskies this semester, check out how you can support the Husky Harvest food pantry at https://bit.ly/46MFzwu

Give A Flex Pass on Oct 25 to Support Students First Fund

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Dining Services will be hosting our bi-annual Give-A-Meal on Wednesday, October 25th. All eight residential dining halls will be participating from 4-7:15pm. Over the years this program has supported various on- and off-campus organizations.

Students with a residential meal plan can donate one flex pass when they come to dinner on the 25th to help out their fellow huskies. All proceeds from the donated flex passes will go to support the Students First Fund, through the Dean of Students Office, which assists students during a time of need (i.e. books; clothing; food). More details about the Students First Fund can be found at https://dos.uconn.edu/.

If you don’t have a residential meal plan but want to help your fellow Huskies this semester, check out our donation drives in October and November to keep the shelves stocked at Husky Harvest food pantry.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok

UConn Dining Halls Receive Certifications & Awards for Sustainability

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All eight of our dining halls have recently achieved the highest level of certification from the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). UConn is the only campus in the United States to have every dining hall become four-star certified.

To achieve certification, UConn Dining had to meet several GRA requirements, including the implementation of sustainable practices in the following areas:

  • Energy Use
  • Water Efficiency
  • Waste Reduction
  • Reusables & Disposables
  • Chemical and Pollution Reduction
  • Food
  • Buildings & Furnishings
  • Education & Transparency

The GRA is a nonprofit organization that works to create an environmentally sustainable restaurant industry by helping restaurants become more environmentally responsible. Their standards reflect over 30 years of research in the field of restaurants and the environment.

The purpose of the GRA standards is to provide a transparent way to measure each restaurant’s environmental accomplishments, while providing a pathway for the next steps they can take to increase their environmental sustainability. Restaurants can earn GreenPoints™ in any of the eight categories below.  To become a Certified Green Restaurant®, enough GreenPoints™ must be earned across the categories.

UConn Dining has implemented several sustainable practices over the years, including trayless dining to reduce food waste and water usage, measuring pre-consumer waste, sending waste to be transformed into biogas and compost, and recycling cooking oil. Dining is also the largest procurer of local produce in Connecticut.

Below are just some of the practices that have been implemented in each category to achieve a four-star rating:

  • Energy Use – All dining rooms now have LED lighting, purchase Energy Star equipment as replacements and have installed strip curtains in all refrigeration and freezers to reduce energy loss.
  • Water Efficiency – Water use is calibrated for the appropriate job including sink aeration, low flow sprayers and dish washers.
  • Waste Reduction – UConn Dining uses china/glass/silver for meal service rather than disposable wares. Bulk packaging is used for over 80% of condiments, salt & pepper, etc.
  • Reusables & Disposables – Disposable products are made with a high content of recyclable materials and are bleach free.
  • Chemical and Pollution Reduction – Green Seal cleaning products are used in all operations. No idling policies are in place for the loading docks and smoking is designated to be at least 25’ away from buildings.
  • Food – UConn Dining serves a high percentage of vegan and vegetarian foods throughout the menu.
  • Buildings & Furnishings – Paints, coatings and building materials in renovations have low VOC, are high in recycled content and the construction debris is recycled.
  • Education & Transparency – The UConn Dining website and every dining hall has information about the Green Restaurant Association and proudly displays the star awards.

In addition, three of UConn’s Dining Halls have recently received awards from the Green Restaurant Association.

  • Putnam Dining Hall – winner of the 2023 Chemical and Pollution Reduction Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Chemicals Category with 60.26 GreenPoints™.
  • Whitney Dining Hall – winner of the 2023 Waste Reduction Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Waste Category with 78.85 GreenPoints™.
  • McMahon Dining – winner of the 2023 Water Conservation Award for being the Certified Green Restaurant® with the most GreenPoints™ in the Water Category with 44.29 GreenPoints™.

UConn Dining has also received recognition for its sustainable practices from other organizations, including the Sustainable Foodservice Leaders Award from the National Association of College and University Food Services and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Challenge Award.

To learn more about more about the GRA points that each dining hall has achieved visit https://dining.uconn.edu/certified-green/