Chief Business Officer Sean Hughes sent the following message to students on Sept. 1, 2026. – Ed.
Dear W&M community,
On Saturday, I sent a campuswide note saying that you would hear from us again with specifics on dining. I write today to share changes this week, changes next week, where West Woods stands, and how we will continue to gather your feedback going forward.
The first two weeks of dining this semester did not meet the standard you should expect at William & Mary. Commons was overcrowded, lines were long, and some locations ran out of items. Too many of you on All Access plans felt you had to use Dining Dollars as your primary way to eat. I am sorry for that, and I appreciate the patience and the direct feedback so many of you have shared. Here is what William & Mary is doing about it.
Meal Plan Updates
Beginning September 9, we are expanding Marketplace service – meaning both all-you-care-to-eat locations will open seven days a week. Plus, this Thursday, September 3, we will add Morning Musings, a new grab-and-go breakfast location in the Sadler Center. Here are those details:
Unmodified
Commons Dining Hall (Caf). Open 7 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week.
Expanded
Marketplace at Campus Center on Jamestown Road. Expanded meal periods and hours begin Wednesday, September 9, and will be as follows:
Monday – Friday
- Breakfast 7 am – 10:30 am
- Lunch 10:30 am – 1 pm
- Lite Fare 1 pm – 4 pm
- Dinner 4 pm – 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday
- Brunch 10 am – 1 pm
- Lite Fare 1 pm – 4 pm
- Dinner 4 pm – 7 pm
Existing hours will remain in place until September 9. The Dining team needs the extra time to shift staff and resources to support the expanded schedule.
New
Morning Musings, accessed from the Sadler Center Atrium. Opening this Thursday, September 3. Morning Musings will be open Monday – Friday from 7 am – 11 am.
Morning Musings will feature coffee, cereal, bagels, yogurt, fruit, milks, and hard-boiled eggs, built for students who need a quick breakfast on the way to class. It is included with your meal swipes, just like Commons (Caf) and Marketplace. We will also have gluten-free and non-dairy options available.
Food allergies and special diets
True Balance stations are open at both Commons and Marketplace. These stations prepare dishes without the nine most common food allergens or gluten. If you have specific concerns or need help planning your meals, contact Grace Barbaro, MS, RDN, W&M Dining’s registered dietitian, at barbaro-grace@aramark.com. She is available for one-on-one consultations and walkthroughs of both locations.
Additional Changes
Sadler Food Hall
- Expanded for All Access Meal Plans: Effective Sunday, September 6, All Access plan holders will receive five (5) Gold Pass swipes per week at the Food Hall, up from two.
- Expanded for Block 100 and Block 125 Meal Plans: Effective Sunday, September 6, Block 100 and Block 125 meal plan holders will receive two (2) Gold Pass swipes per week at the Food Hall, up from one.
- Availability and wait times: We are also working to expand options in the Food Hall on weekends, reduce wait times, and prevent lack of inventory.
- Portion sizes: We have heard that portions on certain menu items have been inconsistent. Effective today, a manager on duty will be stationed at the Food Hall front desk. If an item you receive does not match your expectations, bring it to the front desk, and we will replace it.
- Format: Many of you have asked us to convert Sadler back to a traditional all-you-care-to-eat dining hall. The conversion to a retail food hall changed the serving lines, kitchen equipment, and back-of-house layout. Reversing the construction would require closing Sadler for months. Taking this location offline right now would make the immediate dining experience worse for campus. Sadler will operate in its current format throughout this academic year, and we welcome feedback through W&M Dining.
Dining Dollars
While we stand up the expanded Marketplace schedule and additional improvements, William & Mary Dining will add another $100 in Dining Dollars to every meal plan, on top of the $100 supplement all meal plan holders received at the start of the semester. The funds will load automatically by the end of the day tomorrow, Wednesday, September 2. You do not need to do anything. These appear under “Voluntary Dining Dollars” in your account and function as normal dining dollars.
As a general reminder, you can find all locations where Dining Dollars are accepted both on campus and off campus, as well as current hours for each location at W&M Dining.
Next Steps
At the West Woods Culinary Center, we continue to press the developer and their contractors on completion of unfinished items that are delaying its opening to students. William & Mary anticipates West Woods will be open to serve students for the start of the spring semester.
We review dining operations daily and weekly, and we will continue to do so. We observe lines, stock levels, staffing, and student use of each venue. We will communicate to the student community proactively wherever possible if anything else changes. The dining team will also continue to work with and keep Student Assembly up to date on dining operations.
Thank you again for your patience these first two weeks, and again, I am sorry the start of the semester did not deliver the experience you expected. You can reach the dining team at any time at dining@wm.edu, or me and the leadership team in Business Affairs at businessaffairs@wm.edu.
Thank you,
Sean