In an April 2026 column, some students agreed Indiana University dining hall hours were too limited for their busy schedules. This August, the university reduced the hours more.
Forest, McNutt and Wright dining halls open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. on weekdays —consistent with the previous weekday schedule. These dining halls are “All You Care to Eat.”
As for weekends, hours have changed. In spring 2026, “All You Care To Eat” dining halls were open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Now, these dining halls, which allow students to enter with a meal swipe and enjoy an unlimited amount of food during their visit, are closed from 2-4 p.m. on weekends.
Ashley Massie, area manager of Residential Dining, said the schedule change was made with students’ feedback and staff members in mind. She said two main requests in previous student surveys were later breakfast and more variety in weekend food options.
Massie said that IU Dining staff members who are union employees work every other weekend, although not all are union workers. She said the time adjustment allows staff members to reset during periods when students were historically not as active in the facility. She said the closed period allows staff to maintain the level of service that students expect.
After brainstorming with general managers and the executive chef, they decided on a weekend brunch option and a more extensive dinner menu, Massie said.
“Sunday dinner is one of our biggest meals in dining and a really great way to showcase our Heartland concept, which is our true dinner,” Massie said. “Protein, starch, vegetable, home cooked meal.”
Heartland was not previously open on Sunday nights, but now gives students a home-cooked style meal option.
Other campus dining options, like Poke by Sushi King at Read Hall and Quarry Pie Co. at the Indiana Memorial Union, have weekend hours, but require methods of payment other than a standard meal swipe, requiring students to use a combo meal credit, Dining Dollars, CrimsonCash or credit and debit cards. Some students say their weekend plans are affected by the new hours.
“On the weekends, I don’t wake up that early,” freshman Laila Browne said. “ 2-4 is exactly when lunch would be, so I end up Door Dashing, or me and my friends will go to get food.”
Sophomore Katherine Senseman said she met her friends at the dining hall around 2 p.m. on Sundays last year. She said as a freshman, the schedule change, combined with her busy schedule, would have caused her to wait until 5 or 6 p.m. to eat.
Dining employees say the gap in service allows for additional time for cleaning and preparation before dinner service.
Elizabeth Bell, a senior at IU, has worked at McNutt Dining Hall for about six months. She acknowledged the inconvenience the gap could cause for students but said it is important to think about the staff as well.
“During that two-hour break period, we can go ahead and get the breakfast location cleaned and out of the way, so you’re not trying to keep up with service while also trying to clean up for the morning,” Bell said.
Senior Harold Schoettle has worked at McNutt Dining Hall for about three years. He said the reduced hours help with behind-the-scenes tasks.
“I notice that going into dinner, we’re a bit more prepared,” said Schoettle. “I think if people could see how much better the dining room looks and how much better we’re doing quality wise on the weekends, I think that would change minds a little bit.”
