With the advent of another school year at the University of New Mexico a stream of questions are sure to follow — a lot of these surrounding food on campus. The Daily Lobo has consolidated a list of on-campus eateries, their opening and closing times, and what meal plan components they accept.
La Posada Dining Hall (7 A.M.- 11 P.M.)
La Posada Dining Hall, nestled in the middle of the University of New Mexico’s residence community, is UNM’s buffet-style cafeteria. Depending on the type of meal plan, students can access La Posada a limited or unlimited amount. Meal swipes, dining dollars, LoboCash or standard money can be paid at the entrance to the dining hall (however, students with a limited meal plan should note that they can only use two meal swipes per day). Takeout boxes, — which are included in the unlimited meal plans but can be purchased at the dining hall entrance otherwise, are a suitable opportunity for students in a hurry.
As a side note, LoboCash is a prepaid spending account charged to a student’s LoboCard that can be spent by swiping the card. LoboCash can be used to make purchases throughout campus and can, of course, be spent on food.
La Montañita GrabnGo Co-op (8 A.M.- 6 P. M.)
The Co-op, located right next to UNM’s Bookstore, is well-known for its diverse and healthy food options. It features organic versions of breakfast items (including coffee), sandwiches, fruit and toiletries. The Co-op accepts dining dollars, standard money and LoboCash.
Mercado Corner Store (7 A.M. - 4 P.M.)
The Mercado, conveniently located adjacent to one of the Student Union Building’s many entrances, is a popular option for student sustenance. The Mercado offers a diverse menu of hot meals (including options such as breakfast sandwiches and quesadillas) that can be purchased with standard money, dining dollars, LoboCash or meal swipes. Meal swipe items are paired with a choice of drink (located in a “Meal Swipe Only”-labeled refrigerator) and snacks (chips, cookies or fruit). The rest of the Mercado functions as a convenience store with a plethora of packaged food, snack items, produce and even non-food items, such as personal hygiene products and school supplies. All of these items can be purchased with LoboCash, standard money or dining dollars.
“The store is convenient because students can get something they want to eat, or if they want to get some cereal and milk for breakfast, or if they forget their notebook, we have it all,” Amy Botone, a cashier food service worker who frequently works at the Mercado, said of its variety.
Additionally there is an assortment of restaurants on the second floor of the Student Union Building that accept dining dollars and standard money, but not meal swipes.
Student Residence Center Market (24/7)
The Student Residence Center (SRC) Market is located in the SRC Commons, directly across from the La Posada Dining Hall. The SRC Market functions quite similarly to the Mercado in that it offers both hot meal items for meal swipes as well as grocery store products for dining dollars, LoboCash or standard money. Again, dining dollars can be utilized for non-food purchases as well. The SRC Market became available every hour of the day just this year, which has proven convenient for students craving a late-night morsel.
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Additionally, overnight swipes were just introduced at the SRC Market.
Beatrice Nisoli is a freelance news reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @BeatriceNisoli.
