Luther College students and campus visitors are seeing major changes to dining services for the 2026-27 academic year, including a new limit on meal-plan swipes, additional food options and possible new ways to buy meals on campus.
Under the new policy, students may use one meal swipe every two hours. Previously, students could use as many swipes as they wanted at any dining location. The change comes as Bon Appétit begins its second year managing Luther’s dining program in Decorah.
Patti Hetrick, Luther’s vice president for finance and administration, said the college changed the policy after reviewing food costs and finding that students without meal plans were frequently using plans belonging to other students. Luther College administration approved the change.
“Last year, when evaluating options for an upgraded dining experience, we analyzed overall food costs and identified that students without a meal plan were frequently utilizing other students’ meal plans,” Hetrick said. “While we want students enrolled in a meal plan to have ample access to food, the plans were not designed to be transferable.”
The new limit also affects students who use meal swipes to bring friends or other guests into the Caf. Visitors can still eat there, but they must pay for their own meals. For 2026, public meal prices are $10 for breakfast, $14 for lunch and $15 for dinner, according to Hetrick.
Visitors also can purchase food at other Luther dining locations, including Marty’s, Oneota Market and Nordic Brew.
New egg station added to the Caf
Alongside the meal-swipe policy, Bon Appétit has added a Cook-Your-Own Egg Station in the Caf. Nic Supercynski, the company’s general manager, said the station is intended to give diners more control over their meals.
“As a part of Bon Appétit’s mission to constantly enhance the dining experience, we added a Cook-Your-Own Egg Station to the Caf,” Supercynski said. “This new offering gives guests the opportunity to prepare eggs exactly how they like them.”
Bon Appétit is also continuing campus dining events. The annual Eat Local Challenge took place Sept. 22, while another Food Fight is planned for Nov. 19. During the culinary competition, campus chefs prepare dishes for students to sample and vote on.
Campus dining expansion remains under consideration
The latest changes follow Luther’s move from Sodexo to Bon Appétit in 2025. Bon Appétit began managing dining services on June 1, 2025, under a 10-year agreement. Sodexo had provided the college’s dining services since 2009.
The transition included plans to renovate and change dining spaces. Luther and Bon Appétit announced plans in 2025 to expand serving stations in the Caf and add areas for global cuisines, allergen- and gluten-free options, halal foods and other dietary needs. The plans also included relocating Nordic Brew and renovating Oneota Market.
Additional services are still being considered. Hetrick said Luther is looking into piloting a Bon Appétit vending machine in Gerdin Fieldhouse. The college has also purchased a food truck for on-campus events, although it was awaiting branding at the time of the report. Hetrick said she hoped the truck would be ready in fall 2026.
College officials say student feedback will continue to shape the dining program. Bon Appétit reviews comment cards daily, and Hetrick encouraged students and other members of the Luther community to share what they like, what they do not like and what foods they would like to see available.
“We will continue to evolve our dining program into something that caters to the needs and wants of the Luther community,” Hetrick said. “We review comment cards daily and encourage all to let us know what you like, don’t like, and share ideas about which foods students are looking for.”