UCLA students in a rush can soon skip the dining hall lines and take the meals to go.
UCLA Dining will launch a new To-Go Lunches program Thursday. The program allows students to use one meal swipe to pick up a to-go lunch at Bruin Café, Bruin Plate, the Drey and the Study at Hedrick Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., according to UCLA Dining’s website.
Each to-go lunch includes an entrée, two sides, a canned beverage and a frozen bottled water.
“We know students are busy, and so we want to make sure that they have food readily available for them,” said Lorraine Jimenez, the executive assistant for UCLA Dining’s senior executive chef.
When students swipe for their first To-Go Lunch, they will receive a UCLA Dining To-Go Lunch Passport and a reusable lunch bag, she said. The program, Jimenez said, aims to promote sustainability by encouraging students to reuse their bags.
Each time students reuse a bag through the service, they receive a stamp on their passport. After collecting seven stamps, students can receive a free açai bowl from Bruin Café or gelato from Café 1919.
Dining staff hopes to ensure students receive good value for their lunch by including an extra side and a frozen water bottle to keep the meal cold throughout the day, Jimenez said.
“Anywhere else on campus, you’re going to get way fewer things than you would here,” said Nena Sosa, executive assistant for UCLA Housing and Hospitality.
Bladimir Camacona, a UCLA parent, said the to-go lunch program is a good option for students, especially for his child, who recently moved into the dorms and has not gotten used to eating on the Hill.
Sosa said many students and their families have expressed enthusiasm about the new program since move-in. Students are particularly excited to receive the free thermal bag and earn a free açaí bowl or gelato through the rewards program, she added.
Students can access the to-go lunches regardless of their meal plan, Sosa said.
“You get to take the Hill with you,” she said. “You don’t have to come back up to the Hill for lunch, and you get a lot of value for your swipe.”
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