Students dining in St. Gertrude's Cafe

Dining

Healthful, flavorful and sustainable meals

Students and parents are faced with many decisions that will influence their experience at Saint Martin’s University. When it comes to dining, we partner with Bon Appétit Management Company to offer healthful, flavorful and sustainable meals on campus. Saint Martin’s University cares about student well being and supporting the local community.

What to know about Bon Appétit and your return to Saint Martin's

St. Gertrude's Café

St. Gertrude's Café was built and dedicated in 2004. A state-of-the-art facility, St. Gertrude's seats over 200 people and has three hot food stations, a deli counter and a 20-item fresh-daily salad bar. Each day, Bon Appétit staff create homemade entrées, snacks and desserts using local ingredients, with your health and well-being — and the good of our planet — in mind.

Hours

Saint Gertrude's Cafe

Monday-Friday
Breakfast: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Dinner: 5-7:30 p.m.

Weekends
Brunch: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dinner: 5-7:00 p.m.

Cafe Espresso Bar

Monday-Friday
7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Weekends
Brunch: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dinner: 5-7:00 p.m.

The Monk's Bean

Monday-Friday
7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Parson's C-Store

Monday-Friday
3-10 p.m.

View today's menu

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Meal Plans

All meals served at Saint Martin’s University are cooked from scratch using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Healthful choices, such as whole grains, deep color vegetables and fresh fruits, are mainstream offerings. Students can easily identify healthful meals using Bon Appétit’s Circle of Responsibility menu icons, which indicate, for example, items that are In Balance or Low Fat. We also offer a wide variety of tasty vegetarian and vegan options every day, every meal.

How meal plans work

Requirements

Residents not living in an apartment/not eligible to live in an apartment

All residents who do not live in apartment spaces and are ineligible to do so must purchase a traditional (gold, silver, or bronze) meal plan.

Traditional meal plans do not include meals during vacation periods (winter, spring, and summer breaks). In most cases, food service is available on a cash basis during vacation periods.

Fall meal plan balances carry over to spring with the purchase of a traditional (bronze, silver, or gold) meal plan. At the end of the spring semester, all balances expire.

Residents living in campus apartments

Residents who live in campus apartments are not required to purchase a meal plan; however, meal plan options are available for apartment residents.

Residents living in suites

Those who are eligible for apartments, but choose to live in suites must have a meal plan, but may select an apartment meal plan.

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Flex Cash

At Saint Gertrude Dining Hall, breakfast and lunch are on a declining balance system and you can utilize your Flex Cash to purchase food in the café or any items for sale at The Monk’s Bean Café in Harned Hall or at the snack bar and C-Store located in Parsons Dormitory.  Dinner and weekend meals are AYCTE (All You Care To Eat). Each AYCTE meal costs one board meal credit. You may choose to use your Flex Cash during AYCTE periods if you only want a light meal.  Anytime you make a retail purchase, it’s deducted from your Flex Cash balance.  If you use up all of your Flex Cash before the end of the semester, you may also make retail purchases with Saint’s Cash, cash or your debit card. Board Meal Credits cannot be used for retail purchases. 

If you use up all of your Flex Cash before the end of the semester, you may also make retail purchases with Saint’s Cash, cash or your debit card. Board Meal Credits cannot be used for retail purchases.

Student ID card

At the beginning of the semester, your Student ID card will be credited with the amount equivalent to the plan you have chosen. Students below Junior status are required to have one of the three major meal plans.  If no choice is made you will be defaulted to a Gold Plan.  As long as a student purchases either a Gold, Silver or Bronze meal plan for Spring Semester, unused Board Meal Credits and Flex Cash will carry over to Spring semester. Commuter plan balances do not carry forward to the spring semester. If a student chooses not to purchase a meal plan for spring semester, any remaining Board Meal Credits and Flex Cash will expire at the end of fall semester. All Board Meal Credits and Flex Cash expire at the end of Spring Semester. Board Meal Credits and Flex Cash cannot be used during winter break or spring break.

Meal balances and refunds

Fall meal plan balances carry over to spring with the purchase of a traditional (bronze, silver, or gold) meal plan the following semester. At the end of the spring semester, all balances expire. Students leaving housing are responsible for cancelling their meal plans in the Student Financial Services Center (Old Main, room 230), and board charges will be assessed at a daily rate and prorated based on the number of days remaining in the semester.

Meal plan changes

Meal plans may be changed by submitting the meal plan change form anytime before the University's add/drop date for the respective semester, but no changes will be made thereafter.

Change your meal plan

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Meal Plan 101

To ensure you find a meal plan that fits, we offer four different meal plans to choose from. For our students who live on campus we offer the Gold, Silver and Bronze meal plans. They each have differing amounts of Board Meal credits and Flex Cash to meet your needs. We also have the Commuter meal plan for students who live off campus or live in on campus apartments. When choosing a meal plan, you may want to consider your daily routine. How many meals do you eat each day in the café? Does your work or athletic schedule allow for you to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in the café? One of the best things you can do is take a few minutes to sit down, think about your schedule and make a simple budget that gives you a framework to control your daily spending.

Meal Plan Options

The Gold Plan

100 Board Meal Credits + $725 Flex Cash $4040.00/semester
We’ve found that this plan is ideal for most of our residents who enjoy eating at the Saint Gertrude Café. If you frequent the café most meals, this is the plan for you. To take full advantage of the Gold plan you need to go to six of the nine AYCTE meals each week.

Photo of student in St. Gertrude's Cafe

The Silver Plan

75 Board Meal Credits + $925 Flex Cash $3805.00/semester
This plan is right for you if you dine less frequently or are sometimes away on weekends. It is also a good choice if you are looking for a lighter plan and have a spending rate that is fairly average and you will be dining during 5 of the nine AYCTE meal periods each week. This plan allows for more flexibility in making retail purchases.

Photo of student in St. Gertrude's Cafe

The Bronze Plan

45 Board Meal Credits + $1150 Flex Cash $3625.00/semester
This plan is designed for the student who dines less frequently on campus or enjoys extracurricular activities that may keep them off campus during some ATCTE meal periods. Eating during four of the nine AYCTE meal periods each week will take full advantage of the Bronze plan. 

Photo of students gathered in dining hall

The Commuter Plan

30 Board Meal Credits +$325 Flex Cash $1340.00/semester
This is the ideal plan for the apartment resident or local commuter who tends to dine on campus a bit more frequently. The commuter plan is a convenient way to refuel when spending a long day on campus. Whether it’s an espresso and a healthy snack to refuel, lunch or dinner at Saint Gertrude Café, you can use your Flex Cash for all purchases.

Photo of student paying with ID card
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Contact Bon Appetit

Saint Martin’s University believes that dining together is a great way for students to meet people, make connections and develop a sense of community. Meal plans enable SMU to offer dining facilities and services that would not otherwise be possible. Bon Appetit is committed to giving you the greatest possible opportunity to get the full value of your plan.  If you have questions or need help finding the right plan for you, please contact Bon Appetit Administrative Office at 360-438-4563.

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