Plan to live and eat right on campus and fully immerse yourself in the RIC community. Our dining options are designed with our students in mind, offering welcoming spaces that foster connection while prioritizing variety, quality, flexibility, sustainability, and cost savings. Whether you have time to relax over a meal with friends or need a quick bite between classes, we’ve got you covered.
At Donovan Dining Center you'll enjoy good food and close friends. Immerse yourself in the RIC community in an atmosphere where students enjoy quality time and quality food, together – indoors or on our patio. If you don't have time to sit, we'll gladly package up your food for you. We also offer express items to grab when you have even less time.
Our Beestro proudly features products from our campus garden, campus apiaries, and local vendors. For breakfast, enjoy fresh bakery items, breakfast sandwiches, and our broad coffee bar offerings. At lunch and dinner, choose from personal pizzas and flatbreads, gourmet deli sandwiches, personal-sized baked pastas, and desserts. There's also a recreation area where students can enjoy television, video games, ping pong, air hockey, and even live performances.
"The administration is always looking for ways to improve the student experience at RIC, and one of these initiatives was to create an additional space for students to hang out."
Our two dining facilities are known for their focus on local products and sustainability. Donovan Dining Center holds a 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant rating, while the Beestro Café is recognized as a 3-Star Certified Green Restaurant. Both of our facilities met the high standards needed in these areas to hold distinguished certifications: energy, water, waste, reusables & disposables, chemicals & pollution, food, building & furnishing, and education & transparency.
We offer meal plans that aim to suit all types of students during different times of the year, and with different needs and wants. Here are details on our most popular plans and the wide variety of times students can enjoy meals each day.
Undergraduate residents choose one of these plans:
| Plans | Meals | Flex Meal Points | Cost Per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 19 Per Week | $400 Per Semester | $3,350 |
| B | 15 Per Week | $300 Per Semester | $3,155 |
| C | 13 Per Week | $250 Per Semester | $2,926 |
All Residents are initially placed in Meal Plan A when their housing deposit is received, but with the free GET App you can easily change your meal plan option, monitor meal and flex point numbers, and order ahead. The app can also be used to order a convenience meal or food service should health concerns arise.
Graduate Residents are required to choose either the Graduate plan or one of our three Undergraduate Resident Meal Plans (A, B, or C). Graduate Residents are initially placed on meal plan A when their Housing Deposit is received, but have the option to change their meal plan by emailing Dining Services.
| Plan | Meals | Flex Meal Points | Cost Per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate | 11 per Week at Donovan Dining Center | $200 Per Semester | $2,499 |
Commuting students are welcome to visit and purchase food or beverages in Donovan Dining Center, The Beestro, or at on-campus vending machines. While commuters are not required to purchase a meal plan, we strongly encourage them to purchase the Commuter Meal Plan:
| Plan | Meals | Flex Meal Points | Cost Per Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commuter | 3 Per Week | $50 for Semester | $569 |
This plan is prorated and can be included on your billing or paid for by credit card (with a 2.75% credit card processing fee).
Enrollment in the Fall 2025 Commuter Meal Plan is now open!
| Day & Meal | Meal Periods | Meal Allotment |
|---|---|---|
| Mon–Fri (Breakfast) | 7–11 am | $11.50 |
| Mon–Fri (Lunch) | 11 am–2:30 pm | $11.50 |
| Mon–Fri (Late Lunch) | 2:30–4 pm | $11.50 |
| Mon–Fri (Dinner) | 4–8 pm | $11.50 |
| Saturday (Breakfast / Lunch) | 10 am–4 pm | $11.50 |
| Saturday (Dinner) | 4–8 pm | $11.50 |
| Sunday (Breakfast / Lunch) | 10 am–4 pm | $11.50 |
| Sunday (Dinner) | 4–8 pm | $11.50 |
We care about providing food security and nutrition education to all RIC students.
Our Food 4 Thought Pantry assists students with food and/or housing insecurity by providing a private and confidential opportunity to obtain food and toiletries. We make sure to keep our pantry shelves stocked for any student needing support.
The services of a Licensed, Registered Dietitian are available to students wanting information on general nutrition, weight management, food allergies, or specific therapeutic diets. Dining tours, group classes, and taste demos are also provided.
We provide residential and retail food services, catering, vending, and meeting space.