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Dining Services at Lesley: Fall 2024

Campus Hospitality Services at Lesley: Fall 2024

Lesley offers a variety of dining options and meal plans for commuter and residential students, including our Just Walk Out Market. Our main cafeteria, Washburn Dining Hall, is our full-service dining hall located on South Campus. Lesley also offers two cafés, one on our residential Campus Doble and the other on our academic campus in University Hall. University Hall is also home to “Lesley On The Go,” an Amazon technology "just-walk-out" market that is open 24/7 for our Lesley community. Students can choose from several full-service meal plans, commuter block plans or a la carte cash options. Pick the one that's right for you!

Our Mission

Lesley Hospitality is dedicated to offering a holistic student experience where healthy, nutritious foods are readily available, menu options meet the dietary needs of our diverse community and the students’ overall health and well-being is factored into every meal period and special event. Dining options are available on all three campuses, with varied menus that offer a range of cooked-to-order meals, ready-made foods, and snacks.

Dietary Accommodations - Food Allergies, Dietary Restrictions, Kosher & Halal Options

Lesley Hospitality provides an inclusive dining experience. Our food service managers and staff work closely with students who have food allergies and other dietary restrictions.

  • Vegan and vegetarian selections are available at all locations.
  • Students with dietary restrictions and food allergies should contact Disability Support Services at dss@lesley.edu so we can accommodate your needs.
  • Our dining team purchases several Halal certified ingredients for our menu offerings. Please contact the Director of Lesley Hospitality, Tim Grills, hospitality@lesley.edu for more information and to set up a meeting with our dining team.
  • Kosher meals: Lesley does not have a kosher kitchen, so Orthodox Kosher meals are not available here at Lesley. Lesley does have a relationship with Harvard and can offer kosher meals through Harvard Hillel's Rabbi Ben-Zion Gold Kosher Dining Hall (Harvard Kosher Dining), a 15-minute walk from our South Campus. The Lesley meal plan will not cover the entire cost of this meal plan, and additional fees would apply. Please contact the Director of Lesley Hospitality, Tim Grills, hospitality@lesley.edu for more information.

Dining Locations

For daily menus and hours of operation at each location, as well as nutritional information, please visit the Lesley Hospitality website.

Washburn Commons on South Campus: Washburn Commons is the all-you-care-­to-enjoy dining venue at Lesley. We offer two daily hot entrees, a customizable sauté station, grill, salad bar, freshly prepared soups and made-to-order deli. Vegan entrees are offered at every meal period, and the desserts are irresistible! All meals are served on China dinnerware or our sustainable to-go containers.

Ava’s Kitchen on Doble Campus: Located on the first floor in the Student Center, Ava's offers Meal Exchange Café Dining of cooked-to-order pub-style burgers, pizza, salads, sandwiches and daily homestyle and vegetarian/vegan specials.  

Porter Café in University Hall: In the heart of the Porter Campus, you will find a breakfast/lunch grill and 24/7 Lesley On the Go Market: Flexible Campus Dining. Snacks, sandwiches and salads are available in the morning and afternoon. Meal Exchange available for breakfast and lunch only.

Sherrill Café on South Campus will be closed and under construction. Stay tuned for information for the Spring semester.

Lesley Mobile Ordering App: Order a meal that fits your busy schedule. The app is set up to order meals from Ava’s Café or Porter Café during their normal hours. Click the link to set up your mobile app and you will be ready when classes begin.

Getting Around Our Campuses

Campus Shuttle: Need to get around Lesley campuses? Take a look at our shuttle service.

ID Card Access to Residential Dining Halls

A valid Lesley ID card is needed to enter all Lesley buildings including our dining halls and cafés. Only current Lesley students, faculty and staff who have an approved Lesley ID will have card access.


Meal Classification & Payment Options

Lesley offers All-You-Care-To-Eat, Meal Exchange, and Café Service dining options that can be paid for through a Meal Swipe, Dining Dollars, CashLynx, cash or debit/credit card. These terms are explained below.

A meal swipe occurs when a student with a residential or commuter meal plan uses their ID card to pay at the register; when the ID is scanned, a meal is deducted from the total remaining on the student’s chosen meal plan. For students on a residential meal plan, the number of meals they have each week is replenished every Friday morning. For students with a commuter plan, a meal swipe will be deducted from the block of meals purchased though CashLynx.

Dining Dollars are added to the meal plans of residential students at the beginning of each semester. Dining Dollars can only be used at our cafés, all vending machines on campus including Costa Coffee and Farmer’s Fridge, and our Lesley On The Go market to purchase snacks, beverages, entrees or items over the Meal Exchange meal. Unused Dining Dollars expire at the end of the academic year.

CashLynx are funds that may be added to a student, faculty or staff ID card and used to purchase food on campus or at designated area stores. For more information, see https://lesleycard.com/.

All-You-Care-To-Enjoy (AYCTE) A student who uses a meal swipe or pays the door price for a meal at Washburn Commons can go back to any of the food stations as often as they like during that meal period, so long as they do not leave the location; students need to re-swipe their ID card each time they enter.

Meal Exchange. A student with a residential or commuter meal plan eating at Ava's Kitchen or Porter Café can use a meal swipe to purchase a main meal item, beverage, side, and dessert constituting a “meal exchange.” Additional items may be purchased with Dining Dollars, CashLynx, cash or credit/debit card.

Café Service. Any a la carte food items purchased at one of the cafés may be paid for with Dining Dollars, CashLynx, cash or credit/debit card.

Join our Dining Advisory Group

Our student Dining Advisory regularly meets to discuss our program including: special events, menus, new ideas, challenges, success stories and service. We want to hear from you! Your ideas and suggestions are instrumental in shaping our program and offerings. We meet on the third Monday of the month at various locations. Please watch for our email blast.


Meal Plan for Residential Students

A meal plan is required for all students who are part of our housing program, and residential students are automatically enrolled on an All-Access + 50 plan. All freshman students receive the All Access Plan with 50 Dining Dollars and 15 Meal Exchanges per week for one year, or until they have completed 30 credits, as part of their housing program package. Freshman students are invited to switch their plan to All-Round Access + 300 Dining Dollars or purchase the VIP All Access + 225. This plan comes with $225 Dining Dollars and 15 Meal Exchanges for only $150 more. This is a great value and especially convenient for students visiting Lesley On The Go. For complete information on our meal plans, follow the link: Residents - Lesley University.

Returning and transferring resident students with 30 credits or more have the option to change their plan. Returning and transfer students will receive the All-Access Plan with 50 Dining Dollars and 15 Meal Exchanges as part of their housing program package. They will have the option to change to the All-Access + 300 or either purchase the VIP Plan or select from one of the reduced plans listed in the link Residents - Lesley University.

Students have the option within the add/drop period to request to change their meal plan by emailing hospitality@lesley.edu

Students can track their remaining meal swipes and check their Dining Dollars and CashLynx balances at https://lesleycard.com/. Click the login/register button and set up your account. If you need assistance, please contact Transact Customer Service at 888-841-3340. 

Commuter students, graduate students, faculty, and staff may purchase a block meal plan or pay at the door. Follow the link for more information: Commuters and Graduates - Lesley University.


Meal Plans & Door Rates for Commuters, Graduate Students, Staff & Faculty

Lesley Hospitality offers special value campus meal options for commuter students, including graduate students, as well as faculty and staff.

Select the plan you prefer and visit the Lesley Hospitality campus location that's right for you. Follow the link for more information: Commuters and Graduates - Lesley University.

To sign up for a Block Meal Plan:

  1. Place the money on your Lesley ID card at http://www.lesleycard.com via CashLynx.
  2. Email Lesley Hospitality hospitality@lesley.edu with your ID number and the 603-number from the back of your Lesley ID card, and we'll place the meal plan on your card once the funds have been confirmed.

2024-25 Door Rate

Students, faculty and staff may purchase individual meals at the door at the following prices using CashLynx, cash, or credit/debit card. Those who anticipate eating meals frequently on campus can save money by buying a block meal plan.

  • Breakfast: $9.50
  • Lunch: $14.25
  • Dinner: $16.50
  • Brunch: $16.50

Commuter Food Pantry

What to expect

The pantry has breakfast, lunch, and snacks available, and a small supply of allergen free items for students who are gluten or dairy free.

We have two refrigerators, a toaster oven, toaster, microwave for heating up meals. We also have a Keurig machine if all you need is a cup of coffee to make it through the day.  (Students are encouraged to bring a reusable mug).

The Lesley University Commuter Pantry is located on Doble Campus, with an interior entrance located down the stairs below the White Hall dorms.

Registering for the Food Pantry

All eligible commuter students (undergraduates and graduate students) can register to use the food pantry. Simply send an email to hospitality@lesley.edu or stop by our location for a form to fill out. Once you have registered, within 48 hours, you will have door access to White Hall during the hours of 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. We are not a fully staffed pantry and try to accommodate our students by being open during our business hours but ask if you have a specific time you can visit the pantry. Please email hospitality@lesley.edu to arrange a time to visit. We are normally open from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday during the semester except holidays. The pantry is closed on weekends, school breaks, school holidays and snow days.

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