Welcome to Bearcat Dining!
Â鶹Éç is proud to partner with Chartwells Higher Education to deliver a new dining experience that reflects the diversity, energy, and everyday needs of students and the entire campus community.
With 18+ dining concepts and four dining halls across all campuses, Bearcat Dining offers options for every student, including Kosher, Halal, and meals prepared without the nine major allergens. Dining locations feature national brands such as Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Panera Bread (opening August 2026), as well as regional favorites like Chick-N-Bap, The Halal Shack, and Jamal’s Chicken.
Learn everything you need to know about dining on campus at the Bearcat Dining website.
Meal Plans
All students living on campus (CIW, Dickinson, Hinman, Mountainview, and Newing) are required to participate in the meal plan program and will automatically be enrolled in Plan B.
Students living in the Hillside or Susquehanna Communities are exempt from the on-campus meal plan requirement; however, they are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits and savings of purchasing a meal plan, especially if they frequently dine on campus.
Meal plans are also available for commuter students.
Bearcat Dining is cashless
Bearcat Dining does not accept cash as payment at any dining location. Instead, the convenience of meal plan dining dollars, dining gift cards, credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay will be accepted.
Food Policy
The Food Policy ensures that food served to the Â鶹Éç community is done so with a primary concern for safety. The policy also outlines the responsibilities of the University in providing and approving food and beverage services under the contractual obligations and limitations agreed to by the University and associated contractors. The Â鶹Éç campus community must adhere to the standards developed in this policy to ensure safe compliance.
Â鶹Éç contracts food service operations with our campus dining partner, Bearcat Dining, to provide food and beverages on campus owned and leased properties. All food and beverages served on campus must be provided through Bearcat Dining, with limited exceptions, such as an event where food and beverage costs total UNDER $300, or in the case where specialty food and/or support of local establishments is in the best interest of the University. Exceptions over $300 MUST be approved in advance by Auxiliary Services and Bearcat Dining through the use of the new online Food Policy Portal.
Food Policy Portal
A new online Food Policy Portal has been created to accept applications for exemptions
from using Bearcat Dining to supply food or beverages on campus. In rare cases, Bearcat
Dining may determine that they are unable to meet a requested service, or the University
through BUAS may determine that specialty food, or support of a local establishment
is the best interest of the University. A waiver may then be issued to permit the
use of an outside food vendor, or to allow for other food service such as offering
home prepared foods, cooking outdoors or using an on-campus kitchen facility. The
online portal replaces both the Off-Campus Catering Request Form and the Food Policy
Waiver of Liability Form. In most cases, applications must be received at least 10
days in advance of an event. Event planners will be notified through the portal of
the status of their request.
Food Policy resources:
- Crafted by 1946, catering by Bearcat Dining website coming soon
- Home prepared food signage
- Allergens signage
- Food safety temperature recording guide and temperature log
- Food safety brochure
If you have questions about the University's Food Policy, contact Auxiliary Services at auxserv@binghamton.edu.