Fall 2021
The University of Alabama and Bama Dining are excited to welcome students back to campus for Fall 2021. Our dining operational plans to ensure the safety of our customers and the campus community, remains our highest priority. The UA administration is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, and Bama Dining stands ready to adapt to any changes moving forward. We are enthusiastic about the year ahead, and we look forward to serving safe and delicious meals to the campus community.BAMA DINING UPDATES
Update: BEGINNING AUGUST 5, 2021
Dinner menus for students in University isolation housing who are receiving Bama Dining meal deliveries may be viewed on our calendar.
Update: EFFECTIVE MAY 10, 2021
Posting of dinner menus for students in University isolation housing is paused and will resume if needed based on students in isolation.
Dinner menus for students in University isolation housing who are receiving Bama Dining meal deliveries may be viewed on our calendar.
Update: EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 26, 2021
Last year, Bama Dining implemented many changes to ensure the safety and well-being of all UA students, faculty/staff, and employees, as we returned to campus. Those changes, such as increased sanitation procedures, limited capacity, traffic management, social distancing, to-go orders and boxes, contactless interaction, 100% cashless, and daily wellness checks continue today. Bama Dining remains committed to making the health of all students a top priority and to enforce a safer eating environment.
The recently updated Spring semester plan includes the same Staff Plan (indicated below for the Fall term), and these changes to the Facilities Plan:
- Following State regulations, 6 feet distance between tables at each location will be maintained to encourage social distancing.
- Although tables remain 6 feet apart, tables may be utilized at full capacity, although no table party may exceed a total of 8 individuals.
- With only 50% seating capacity in the dining rooms, students are encouraged to use the new Transact Mobile Ordering for to-go options.
UPDATE: EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 14, 2020
Dining rooms will be opened with continued strict adherence to safety guidelines
For further info, visit: https://healthinfo.ua.edu/campus-events/
Press Release: Bama Dining makes changes to services to ensure a safer eating experience
August 26, 2020
Prior to the start of the fall semester, Bama Dining implemented several changes to ensure the safety and well-being of all UA students, faculty and staff, and employees. These changes include an increase of sanitation procedures, limited capacity, traffic management, social distancing, to-go orders and boxes, contactless interaction, 100% cashless, and daily wellness checks.
To ensure the highest level of safety, Bama Dining is implementing additional accommodations and changes to continue making the health of all students a top priority and to enforce a safer eating environment.
These include:
- To-go options only at all dine-in locations
- Closing a selection of locations that do not allow for proper social distancing procedures
- Expanding hours of operation at Fresh Food Company where the location will now operate seven days a week
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday
- Adding extra hours to the current transit schedule to allow students to quickly commute from the north and south residential areas of campus to Fresh Food Company
- Transit will shift a North Residential Rocket bus and a South Residential Rocket bus to the new Residential Dining Route, which will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday. The current hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday will remain the same.
These changes went into effect on Wednesday, August 25.
Meal plans are currently available across campus, including Mary B’s in Burke Hall, Julia’s Market in Tutwiler, Fresh Food Company, Lakeside Dining and Presidential Terrace Deli in the Witt Center.
Bama Dining is excited that students are back on campus and we want to make sure they receive the full value of their meal plan and have hot options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a safe environment.
For immediate updates and for more information on dining services, locations, and hours of operation, follow us on social media or this website.
The University of Alabama plans to return to full operations this fall. Bama Dining is excited to welcome students back to campus. We have been working to develop the best plans to ensure the safety of our customers and the campus community, as that is our highest priority. Bama Dining’s fall plan aims to enhance student safety and mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Although things will look different in the fall, Bama Dining will continue to provide students and the campus community with a quality dining experience in both retail and residential all-you-care-to-eat (AYCTE) facilities.
The Bama Dining operational plan will ensure protocols of the highest level of safety are followed and accommodate social distancing requirements. We were responsive as conditions developed during the spring term, and we will be just as diligent adapting to potential changes moving forward. The plan may be revised throughout the semester to address any changes in COVID-19 requirements, so please visit healthinfo.ua.edu for important updates.
Staff Plan
- All Bama Dining employees have a new check-in procedure and are required to have their temperature taken before beginning their shift.
- Signage will be placed at the entrance of all dining facilities regarding symptoms and not entering. This signage will apply to both staff and guests. Consistent with the UA policy, if anyone answers yes to any question, they cannot work that day and should go home to self-monitor and check with their health care provider for additional guidance.
- All staff are required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks and gloves in addition to other safety items like hair restraints and skid-proof shoes. All associates will be trained on how to properly wear, use, launder, and dispose of these items.
- Where possible, staff will observe the six feet social distancing rule while working.
- Safety/sanitation leads will be at each location during all shifts to ensure the highest level of cleanliness is followed.
- Sanitation of utensils, tables, doors, and handles will be conducted hourly.
- All associates performing food service duties are required to wash their hands every 20 minutes.
- All employees will change gloves after handwashing and in between tasks.
Facilities Plan
- Per state regulations, all customers must wear a mask in all dining facilities. Masks are required at all times, unless someone is sitting down (stationary) and eating/drinking.
- Hand sanitizer will be readily available and easy to find at all locations.
- Directional signage will be posted for easily identifiable pathways at location entrance and exit areas.
- All self-service items, including the salad bar will be eliminated in our AYCTE locations; our associates will be happy to serve all guests.
- Although self-serve has been eliminated, guests will continue to enjoy AYCTE in our residential dining facilities, and menu options will still be customizable.
- To optimize to-go options for all locations, extra reusable to-go containers for residential AYCTE facilities will be available for purchased and Grub Hub mobile ordering is available for many campus retail outlets.
- Plexiglass barriers have been installed at point-of-sale register stations.
- Floor appliques will be place six feet apart to ensure customer queueing encourages a safe, six-foot distance between customers.
- Following State regulations, 6 feet distance between tables at each location will be maintained to encourage social distancing. Additionally, chairs have been removed to limit the size of the party at a single table, per UA Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Alabama Department of Public Health (ALDPH) requirements.
- With reduced seating in the dining rooms, enhanced to-go options will be available.
- Communal utensils for customers will be replaced with individual disposable cutlery kits at the AYCTE facilities.
- All dining locations will only accept cashless payment options (meal plans, Dining Dollars, Bama Cash, and credit/debit cards).
Bama Dining looks forward to seeing students, faculty, and staff back on campus and we are enthusiastic to serve our guests in the safest manner possible.