Sodexo Shares About New Dining Changes
Dining Dollars were increased on Liberty University’s dining plans this semester, allowing students to purchase more items that are not available for a meal swipe.
The decision to add more Dining Dollars into the Freedom Dining and Freedom Dining PLUS+ meal plans came after “inflation caused price increases across” the restaurants on Liberty’s campus, according to Sodexo District Manager Duke Davis.
Davis said that national brand restaurants decide what menu items can be purchased through the use of a swipe, which was originally combated by adding upcharges to the swipes. The discussion, which involved input from both Sodexo and Liberty’s Vice President of Auxiliary Services Louis Cambeletta, of removing upcharges and adding more Dining Dollars began in the Fall 2023 semester and the plan was finalized in November 2023.
“We pivoted to increasing Dining Dollars in order to give students the ability to purchase those items that were removed from the swipe program and more,” Davis said.
The removal of upcharges brought some questions up for students, especially considering some menu favorites, that originally cost students a plus swipe with an upcharge, were removed from the swipe options entirely.
According to Davis, inflation was the main culprit in the removal of certain items from the swipe system.
“Inflation impacts the pricing of menu items, which directly impacts the swipe program and what can be covered within the swipe pricing structure,” Davis said. “We have to work with our national brands and abide by their wishes when it comes to meal plan swipes versus actual menu board revenue.”
Senior Alaina Grace said she was disappointed in the removal of some menu items that were available as a PLUS+ swipe in previous years.
“The only complaint I have is that not everything is a PLUS+ swipe anymore,” Grace said.
Davis responded to student complaints about the removal of some items from the PLUS+ Swipe program.
“Upcharges added onto Basic and PLUS+ Swipes was our way of trying to keep items available through the swipe program, but since this was not as well received as we had hoped, we pivoted to increasing Dining Dollars in order to give students the ability to purchase those items that were removed from the swipe program and more,” Davis said.
Shake Smart is the only restaurant location on campus that chose to continue with upcharges.
“We and the brand decided to leave it as is,” Davis said.
The Freedom Dining meal plan includes $250 Dining Dollars, $80 Flames Cash and three guest passes while the Freedom Dining PLUS+ meal plan includes $350 Dining Dollars, $80 Flames Cash and five guest passes.
For more information, go to http://www.liberty.edu/flamespass/meal-plans.
Sturek is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.
