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Dining Services

Department Overview

Owned and operated by the College, Swarthmore College Dining Services proudly provides the campus with quality dining experiences in a variety of venues.

Our mission is to offer a diverse menu using the highest-quality ingredients, and locally grown and produced products when available. Our menu always includes vegetarian and vegan options. We strive to provide nutritious and satisfying food in a welcoming setting every day. 

We pride ourselves on being service-oriented. We are professionals who keep abreast of market and food trends to provide fresh and nutritional offerings.

We are always open to comments, suggestions, and recipe ideas. Stop by our offices in Sharples anytime or email us with your feedback. 

Sharples Dining Hall

Sharples Dining Hall fosters opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to come together to share meals. More from Sharples Dining Hall

Essie Mae's

Essie Mae’s 

Providing selections from deli sandwiches and black bean burgers to freshly baked pastries and piping hot pizza, the snack bar welcomes students until midnight. More from Essie Mae's Snack Bar

Kohlberg

Kohlberg Coffee Bar

Those seeking caffeine, smoothies, bagels, or biscotti stop by Kolhberg Coffee Bar for a treat. Lunch offerings include café fare and Indian cuisine, provided by a local restaurant. More from Kohlberg Coffee Bar

Science Center Cafe

Science Center Cafe

This campus spot is favored for its popular lunchtime sushi, fried rice, and lo mein, which are delivered daily from a local restaurant, though its café-style drinks are also a hit. More from Science Center Coffee Bar

Sharples Dining Hall

Sharples Dining Hall fosters opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to come together to share meals. More from Sharples Dining Hall

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Harvest Dinner

This yearly tradition brings the Swarthmore community together to celebrate fall with locally sourced seasonal specials, and to showcase the delicious local foods that Dining Services regularly serves.

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Local Food

In addition to buying directly from a number of local farmers and food producers, Dining Services is proud to work with numerous local, privately owned and operated food distributors. Each of these companies feature locally produced items, provide employment to area residents, and support communities in our region. Dining Services is dedicated to providing as much food as possible that is locally sourced, environmentally sustainable, and produced in equitable and safe work environments.

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squash

Composting

Dining Services has worked closely with the Good Food Project (a student group that runs an on-campus vegetable garden and the College’s composting program) to compost preconsumer waste generated by food preparation. By doing this, we divert nearly 75 pounds of food waste a day that normally would end up in a landfill. At Sharples Dining Hall, we recently facilitated postconsumer compost collection. Additionally, Essie Mae’s Snack Bar, Kohlberg Coffee Bar, and the Science Center Coffee Bar all offer compostable to-go coffee cups and other containers.

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Students digging in dirt

Water and Energy Conservation

To conserve water, Dining Services recently installed water-saving faucets and toilets, as well as a new dishwashing machine that significantly reduces water usage. Additionally, Sharples Dining Hall is on an energy-management operations system, which means its lights, air-conditioning, and heat are turned off whenever possible.

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Surprise a Friend with a Birthday Cake from Dining Services!

Too busy to run to the store to buy a cake for your friend’s birthday? Not enough time to bake one? Dining Services is happy to make a custom cake for the special day.

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birthday cake!