AFDC and Lakeside to remain open during Thanksgiving break

For students remaining on campus during the Thanksgiving recess from Nov. 24-28, dining options will be more limited than usual.

After dinner service on Friday, Nov. 21, all dining halls other than Arrillaga Family Dining Commons (AFDC) and Lakeside Dining will be closing until either Saturday, Nov. 29 or Monday, Dec. 1.

“Many undergraduate students travel home or stay with friends during this week, which significantly reduces the campus population,” wrote Eric Montell, assistant vice provost for Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries, to The Daily. “Keeping one dining hall open on each side of campus ensures that students who remain still have convenient, reliable access to meals.” 

AFDC and Lakeside will operate with modified hours: weekend brunch will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., weekday breakfast fom 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., weekday lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Florence Moore Dining, Stern Dining, Wilbur Dining and Ricker Dining will all open for brunch on Nov. 29, providing more options as students begin to return to campus.

Suites Dining, Yost, Murray, East and Row (Self-Op) Dining will re-open for breakfast on Dec. 1. Students living in these houses — along with Co-op residents — will be placed on a 19-swipe meal plan during the break so they can access open dining halls.

Branner Dining and Gerhard Casper Dining Commons will not re-open until lunch that Monday. EVGR Dining will open for that Monday’s dinner.

Tristan Flowers ’29 said she appreciated that, with Lakeside operating, a dining hall close to her dorm in GovCo will be open.

“As long as there’s at least two dining halls on either side of campus, that’s fine with me, and it makes me happy,” she said.

According to Jamie JudahBram ’27, who will be staying for Thanksgiving break for her third year in a row, the two dining hall setup increases the already present feeling of emptiness on campus. 

“West campus stays in Lakeside Dining ,and then east campus stays in Arrillaga Dining,” she said. “Whoever is on campus is split in half.”

Within AFDC, Athlete Dining will remain open. Additionally, a kosher station will be available in Florence Moore’s kosher kitchen.

“For students with other dietary needs, food allergies, or specific requirements, we encourage them to reach out to our on-site staff, who are always available and happy to assist,” Montell wrote.  

Dining options outside of dining halls will be available as well.

R&DE cafés and markets will close on Nov. 22 and 23, with most reopening on Dec. 2. Many Tresidder vendors will remain open for most of the break, with the exception of Thanksgiving and the adjacent Friday.

Other University services will also experience changes. Housing Service Centers and the Tresidder Package Center will be closed Nov. 27 and Nov. 28.

David Ward, the assistant vice provost for Student Housing Operations and Stanford Conferences, encouraged students remaining on campus to submit Fix-It requests and call (650)-725-1602 for 24/7 emergency maintenance issues.

“Aside from the closures on the holidays… staff will be on site to support students and respond to their needs,” Ward wrote.

On Thanksgiving, a special holiday menu will be available at both AFDC and Lakeside, beginning with a “velvety butternut squash soup and a fresh baby kale harvest salad,” according to Montell.

“For entrées, we’re serving citrus-brined roasted turkey, slow-roasted for exceptional tenderness and paired with rich mushroom gravy and our homemade cranberry–orange relish, alongside a beautiful vegan Jackfruit Wellington wrapped in golden, flaky pastry,” he wrote.

“The meal will be rounded out with an array of delicious sides, including caramelized balsamic-roasted Brussels sprouts, soft and aromatic brioche herb dressing, creamy Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, sweet maple-glazed yams topped with toasted marshmallows and assorted dinner rolls with silky maître d’ butter,” Montell wrote. “To finish, students can enjoy classic pumpkin pie, warmly spiced vegan apple pie or delicious sweet potato pie.”

Despite these efforts, some students have noticed a decrease in food quality during school breaks, with JudahBram even becoming sick once.

“I’m not sure what happens that makes it that way, but you can tell by looking at it that it looks either left over or it’s colder than usual or something,” she said. “It’s kind of disheartening to be on campus and the food quality is that much worse just because you decide to stay.”

Montell and Ward said they want students who remain on campus to feel included and welcomed.

“We want students to have a seamless experience over the break without any change in the level of service and commitment to excellence in support of their ability to thrive in the residences,” they wrote.

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