Dining at ISU: Fall 2023 updates 

Over the summer, Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality (EMDH) worked on many updates preparing for students to return to campus. Here are some updates on dining at Illinois State University for the fall 2023 semester.   

Dining Centers  

Watterson Dining Commons has completed phase two of renovations, and the fully renovated dining center reopened for the fall on Monday, August 14. Updates completed over the summer include various venue updates, an enhanced dining area with a variety of seating options, digital monitors at most venues, Illinois State University branded wall graphics, and much more. Landscaping and other outdoor updates have also been made to enhance the outdoor seating area adjacent to the dining center to allow students to enjoy their meals outdoors.   

Both Marketplace at Linkins and Watterson Dining Commons now feature new, self-service entry gates. Meal plan holders will tap to scan their valid ISU student ID card (Redbird Card) at the entry lane, and the system will open the gate automatically. Lanes will be designated for students opting for to-go meals or utilizing meal plan flex dollars. This lane will also be designated for guests paying via a credit or debit card or campus departments using a department charge/voucher.

Please refer to the Dining website for details on specific venue hours and other notifications related to the dining centers.  

NetNutrition

NetNutrition has been updated to make the site more user-friendly and accessible. NetNutrition is the online menu database EMDH uses to provide up-to-date menus, nutrition facts, ingredient information, and food allergen information for all menu items served at both dining centers. Students and guests are encouraged to utilize this resource to view menus in advance of meal periods to determine which dining center and/or venue they may want to visit. NetNutrition can be accessed via the Dining website or by scanning the QR codes located throughout the dining centers. Additionally, there is an iPad with access to NetNutrition in each dining center.  

In addition to NetNutrition, EMDH has two registered dietitians who are available to work one-on-one with meal plan holders who have food allergies or need dietary accommodations. If a student feels they need to speak with a dietitian, they can contact the dietitians via the Ask a Dietitian contact form.    

Retail dining  

EMDH manages various retail dining locations on campus including the dining venues at the Bone Student Center— McAlister’s Deli, Qdoba, Starbucks, The Landing, and Timbers Grille. Other EMDH-operated locations on campus include the Starbucks at the Student Fitness Center and the Business Bistro located in the State Farm Hall of Business. All locations in the Bone Student Center reopened on Monday, August 14. Starbucks in the Student Fitness Center and Business Bistro will reopen on Monday, August 21. Star Ginger and Milner Café have closed permanently.   

To access retail dining hours and menus, please visit the Dining website under Places to Eat.   

Follow Redbird_Food on Instagram and Redbird Foods on Facebook for updates on dining hours and special food-related events. For more information regarding on-campus dining, including the dining centers and the various retail dining centers on campus, please contact EMDH at EMDH@IllinoisState.edu.