Starting next fall, St. Thomas meal plans will include more guest meals, an increase in flex dollars and a slightly higher overall price.

Todd Empanger, director of Dining Services, said the changes were made to provide a better balance to the meal plan program.

“We rebalanced the program so that it makes more sense to the student buying it and the administrators managing it,” Empanger said.

Empanger said the new changes will benefit students.

“We reviewed the door prices versus contract pricing and adjusted some of the flex dollars. It’s a better value for upperclassmen so they don’t feel like they’re being gouged,” he said.

Next year, the block 150 meal plan will include six guest meals per semester and $230 in flex.

Freshman Nino Dorr said he is excited for the increase in guest meals available to students.

“The change is awesome because now I’ll be able to bring more of my family to eat here,” Dorr said.

Junior Talon Beck, student manager of the View, said the new meal plan options will increase on-campus student dining attendance, especially at the View.

“With a meal plan designed specifically for the convenience of making the food here readily available, students will find this very appealing,” Beck said.

Empanger added that door prices for individual meals will increase. Breakfast will be $7.25, lunch and brunch will be $8.75 and dinner will be $9.

“The meal plans that they purchase are still a pretty good value for what you get,” Empanger said.

Ken Grogg, head chef at The View, does not think the increase in door prices will deter students.

“Price hikes are always tough to digest, but it’s not just a random decision,” Grogg said. “The [students] are going to have to eat, and they’re going to have to pay money somewhere… this is is the best deal in town.”

However, sophomore Yan Yan Teague thinks it’s sad that door prices are increasing.

“If I use my flex to pay for a meal, I don’t want to pay $9 for a meal when I can go to Scooters and get a decently good meal for $5,” Teague said.

Freshman Peter Johnson, a regular at The View, said that no matter the price of the meal plans, he will still eat at the View “because it’s good.”

“I’ve already spent all my flex dollars this semester, so I’d like more,” Johnson said.

Empanger said that the change in pricing has been a topic of conversation for a couple of years and that next semester’s change was a matter of “good timing.”

“It’s an all you care to eat situation,” Grogg said. “There’s really a huge variety, and students can’t find that anywhere else.”

Caroline Rode can be reached at rode8318@stthomas.edu.

Graphic created by Maggie Clemensen.