Dining Services

You can pay for a guest's meal in the dining facility with your Residence Dining Account (RDA) as long as you accompany the guest to the cash register. The account holder is the only one who can use their dining account. Cougar CASH is also accepted in all Dining Services facilities, including the residence dining facilities and campus markets, espresso bars, and Carlita's Mexican Grille and Espresso. Carlita's Mexican Grille and Hillside Café and Market also accept cash.

Students select one dining account level on their Housing and Dining Contract application. If you find you have selected the wrong level, you can change your dining account level at Housing and Dining Financial Services located in the Streit-Perham Building. You must change it before the end of the eighth week of classes each semester. Please keep in mind, changing your meal plan will change your payment schedule.

Anyone can order special cakes or take-outs from Dining Services. Just contact the Catering Scheduler at 509-335-9444. Additionally, cakes can be ordered online at https://www.livingat.wsu.edu/customDesserts/customcakes.aspx for pickup in as little as two days.

The Residence Dining Account (RDA) consists of an overhead charge and RDA Dollars. Each item is individually priced in the dining facilities. You just pick up the items you want and take them to the cash register. The cashier rings up your purchase. The amount of your food is deducted from your RDA Dollars and your balance is displayed on the cash register display pole.

The hours of operation for all Dining Services facilities during breaks and holidays can be found at the following website: http://www.livingat.wsu.edu/hdrl/common/Dining/Hours/hours.asp?term=break

At the Cougar Fitness Café a guest pays a set price for a meal and can go back to any of the serving areas as many times as they want (all-you-care-to-eat). The guest is not able to remove any food from the dining room. The residence dining facilities have ala carte meals. The guest pays a per item price. This food can be removed from the dining facility after purchase.

Only residents in Rogers, McEachern, and Orton can have a housing-only contract with Housing and Dining Services. All other residents in Washington State University residence halls are required to have a dining plan.

If you live on campus, you can use your Residence Dining Account (RDA). This account is part of your housing and dining contract. If you live off-campus, you can use Cougar CASH. Carlita's Mexican Grille and Hillside Café and Market also accepts cash.

In fall semester 2008, the average RDA dollars spent in the dining facilities was $920.  We suggest that you make your decision based upon how often you plan to eat in the residence dining facilities, how often you plan to use your RDA dollars in the markets and espresso bars, what kind of food you plan to eat since items are individually priced, how often you plan to go home on weekends, etc.

Even students who purchase Level 4 may find it necessary to add additional RDA dollars to their account if they frequent the residence dining facility often and shop at the Markets and Espresso Bars.

Students may purchase additional RDA dollars at any time during the semester at Housing and Dining Financial Services, Streit-Perham Building, or on the CougarCard website. All dollars added will go directly toward food purchases. If you think you made an error in choosing your RDA level, you must change it before the end of the eighth week of classes.

Every time you make a purchase, your new account balance is displayed on the cash register. The account balance will be carried over from fall semester only if you stay in the Residence Hall system and purchase a Residence Dining Account for the spring semester. Since the RDA is not accepted in the summer, the balance is not carried over from spring semester to summer semester or the following fall semester.

The account balance will be carried over from fall semester only if you stay in the residence hall system and purchase a Residence Dining Account (RDA) for the spring semester. Since the RDA is not accepted in the summer, the balance is not carried over from spring semester to summer semester or the following fall semester.

If you have a lot of money left in your Residence Dining Account (RDA), contact one of the Dining Service Managers. They will be able to assist you in making large quantity food purchases. You can also use your RDA in the campus markets and espresso bars. The account balance will be carried over from fall semester only if you stay in the residence hall system and purchase an RDA for spring semester. Since the RDA is not accepted in the summer, the balance is not carried over from spring semester to summer semester or the following fall semester.

With a Residence Dining Account (RDA), students can make purchases at Hillside Café, Northside Café, Southside Café, Cougar Fitness Café (CFC), Carlita's Mexican Grille and Espresso in the CUB, Flix Cafe, four markets, and six campus espresso bars.

All residents will receive a 40% discount when they use their RDA in the residence dining facilities (Hillside Café, Northside Café, Southside Café), and the Cougar Fitness Café (CFC). Residents will receive a 10% discount at Carlita's Mexican Grille and Espresso, Webfood, Towers Market, Northside Market, Hillside Market, Hillside Late Night, Flix Café and Market and at the Espresso Bars located at Bustad, Carpenter, Cleveland, Cyber Café (SCUE), Lighty, Hillside Magic Beans, and Stephenson.

Northside Café and Southside Café are closed during official school breaks, such as Thanksgiving, semester break, and spring break. Even during these breaks, Carlita's Mexican Grille and the espresso bars have limited operations available. For the most up to date information regarding break hours, please refer to http://www.livingat.wsu.edu/hdrl/common/Dining/Hours/hours.asp?term=break

Each time you make a purchase with your Cougar Card, the display at the register will show you the balance left on your account. You can also log in to your account at http://my.wsu.edu. Select finances from the navigation menu and click on view activity under your RDA account.

Please refer to http://www.livingat.wsu.edu/hdrl/common/Dining/Hours/hours.asp to find all the hours of operation for the different Dining Services facilities.

All of the residence dining facilities are ADA accessible.

Changes to the Residence Dining Account(RDA) level may be made before the end of the eighth week of class each semester. This can be done by updating your Residence Hall contract on line, or in person at the Streit-Perham cash office.

With a Residence Dining Account (RDA), students can make purchases at Hillside Café, Northside Café, Southside Café, Carlita's Mexican Grille, Flix Cafe, four markets, and six campus Espresso Bars.

All residents will receive a 40% discount when they use their RDA in the residence dining facilities (Hillside Café, Northside Café, Southside Café), and the Cougar Fitness Café (CFC). Residents will receive a 10% discount at Carlita's Mexican Grille, Flix Cafe, Webfood, Towers Market, Northside Market, Hillside Market, and at the Espresso Bars located at Bustad, Carpenter, Cleveland, Cyber Café (SCUE), Lighty, Hillside Magic Beans, and Stephenson.

Since each food item is individually priced, you may take it out of the residence dining facility after you have purchased it. There are containers for this purpose. The Cougar Fitness Café (CFC) is an all you care to eat facility; therefore, you cannot take food out.

All dining facilities on campus accept the Cougar CASH account. Use the Cougar CASH account in the on-campus facilities and you will realize significant savings on your purchase.

For further information on the Cougar CASH account, please go to this web page:

http://www.cougarcard.wsu.edu/

The Residence Dining Account resides on your Cougar Card (I.D. Card). The account works with a declining balance. Each time you use your Cougar Card to make a purchase, the amount of the purchase is deducted from your account.

Hillside Café, Northside Café, and Southside Café serve cook-to-order food prepared in a variety of ways. All dining centers feature a fresh salad bar from lunch through dinner seven days per week. Vegetarian options are available in each dining facility. Other options available are a fast-service grill, pizza, espresso, deli, pasta, International Cuisine, Chef's Creations, and specialty bars.

Each dining facility has a menu board close to the entrance to show what is on the menu for the day or it may be posted at each serving platform. You can also go to the webpage and see the menu at http://www.livingat.wsu.edu/hdrl/currentresidents/dining/CR_Menus.htm

Students living in the residence halls except Rogers, McEachern, and Orton automatically purchase a Residence Dining Account (RDA) with their Housing and Dining Contract. Students living in Rogers, McEachern, and Orton can choose to purchase this dining account.

Cougar CASH is accepted in all Dining Service facilities, including the residence dining facilities and campus markets, Carlita's Mexican Grille, Webfood and espresso bars. You realize significant savings when you use your Cougar CASH at any of these locations.

When you select a dining account level on your Housing and Dining contract, a portion of the cost is allocated to overhead and the remainder is Residence Dining Account (RDA) dollars. Each item is individually purchased in the Hillside Café, Northside Café, Southside Café, Cougar Fitness Café (CFC), Webfood, Carlita's Mexican Grille and Espresso in the CUB, Espresso Bars, and Markets. Pick up the items you wish to purchase and give your CougarCard to the cashier. When the card is run through the cash register, the amount of your purchase is deducted from your RDA dollars.

Dining Services provides a wide variety of food in order to meet individual nutritional needs and preferences. If you have questions or concerns about nutrition or special diets, our staff dietitian is available for individual diet counseling, group discussions, and presentations. Contact the staff dietitian at (509) 335-4785.

If you have general questions about how the account works, hours of operation, where it can be used, please contact Dining Services at (509) 335-3561 or dining@wsu.edu. If you have financial questions about your account such as adding money, where to send a payment, how much do I owe, please contact Housing and Dining Financial Services at (509) 335-8625 or e-mail

There are a wide variety of food items available daily at Hillside Café, Northside Café, and Southside Café. Fresh To Go items are available at the Espresso Bars and Markets. Not all options are available at all times. For the most up to date information, please refer to http://www.livingat.wsu.edu/hdrl/common/Dining/Hours/hours.asp

The Residence Dining Account is not on a per meal basis. You receive dining dollars that you can use in any dining facility. Each item is individually priced so the number of meals is determined by how many times you eat in the residence dining facilities, the price of the items, how often you use the markets and espresso bars, and the dining level you choose on your Housing and Dining Contract application.

There are other vegetarian options available at the residence dining facilities. Please contact the Dining Services staff dietitian at 509-335-4785 to find out about other menu options.

Dining Services is the largest employer of students on campus. Each facility does their own hiring and maintains their own schedule so you just need to go to whichever facility you would like to work to see available positions and times. Further information can be found at http://www.livingat.wsu.edu/hdrl/employment/H%26Demp/

For immediate service you can go to Housing and Dining Financial Services in Streit-Perham, or on-line with Visa or MasterCard at http://www.livingat.wsu.edu/cardinfo/selfServe/SelfService.asp