Georgia Tech Dining – All of Your Questions Answered

Knowing where to grab your next meal isn’t a usual concern for most incoming college students, but it quickly becomes one while adjusting to life at college.

While most first or second-year students opt for an on-campus meal plan to help with the transition to college, even some third and fourth-year students find that meal plans are a convenient, cost-effective way to plan meals while avoiding the hassle and expense of grocery shopping and cooking.

To help students know what to expect from the meal plan offerings at the Georgia Institute of Technology, here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about dining options at Georgia Tech.

What are the meal plan options at Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech offers a mix of meal plan options to pay for dining hall meals and meals at one of the on-campus restaurants or shops.

The most common plans include a mix of unlimited cafeteria-style meals in the dining halls plus a debit amount that can be used toward food purchases at other food retailers.

The mix of offerings can get confusing, especially for new students, so here’s an overview of the terminology found within the meal plans at the Georgia Institute of Technology:

Meal Swipes

  • Meal-specific swipes in the three dining halls on campus
  • Dining halls offer cafeteria-style all-you-care-to-eat dining

Dining Dollars

  • Functions like a prepaid debit account with withdraws for each meal purchase at all Tech Dining establishments on campus
  • All plans include Dining Dollars to supplement dining hall swipes
  • Additional funds can be added in increments of $50, $200, $400, or $600
  • Funds rollover from semester to semester but are forfeited at the end of the academic year

BuzzCard Funds

  • Flexible prepaid debit account for food purchases as well as other campus expenses like printing
  • Function like Dining Dollars when used for food purchases and can be reloaded throughout the semester

Georgia Tech offers a variety of meal plan options to pay for both campus dining hall meals and meals at the many on-campus restaurants and shops.

How much are meal plans at Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech offers meal plans for first-year students ranging from $1,409 to $2,712 and for upperclassmen from $600 to $2,712.

Each plan varies in its mix of swipes, Dining Dollars, and BuzzCard allowances, with some options limited based on a student’s year in school and Greek affiliation.

The meal plans available for the 2022-2023 school year at Georgia Tech are:

First-Year Meal Plans

  • Weekday Unlimited
    • $2,708 per semester
    • Meal swipes for weekday (M-F) dining hall access
    • Price per meal: $8.96
    • $450 Dining Dollars
    • 5 Guest Meals per semester
  • Everyday Unlimited
    • $2,712 per semester
    • Meal swipes for everyday dining hall access
    • Price per meal: $7.01
    • $250 Dining Dollars
    • 5 Guest Meals per semester
  • Greek 100 Plan
    • Only available to first-year Greek students
    • $1,409 per semester
    • Price per meal: $10.59
    • $100 Dining Dollars
    • $250 Buzzcard Funds

Upperclassmen Meal Plans

  • Any of the First-Year Meal Plans are also available to upperclassmen
  • Meal Pass 200
    • $2,164 per semester
    • Price per meal: $9.57
    • $200 Dining Dollars
    • $50 Buzzcard Funds
  • Meal Pass 150
    • $1,647 per semester
    • Price per meal: $9.83
    • $150 Dining Dollars
    • $50 Buzzcard Funds
  • Meal Pass 100
    • $1,175 per semester
    • Price per meal: $10.25
    • $100 Dining Dollars
    • $50 Buzzcard Funds
  • Dining Dollar 600
    • $600 per semester
    • $660 Dining Dollars allowance

There are three dining halls at Georgia Tech where you can use your Unlimited Meal Plan or Dining Dollars to purchase cafeteria-style meals.

Can you change your meal plan during the semester at Georgia Tech?

No, Georgia Tech students cannot change their meal plans during the semester.

The university institutes a deadline shortly after the start of the semester, by which time students can cancel or change their meal plan, but past that deadline, students cannot upgrade or downgrade their meal plan. Students can always reload their account with additional Dining Dollars or Buzzcard funds, which can be done without changing the meal plan. First-year students’ meal plans from the Fall Semester are automatically carried over to the Spring Semester but can be changed by the spring deadline if needed.

Where are the dining halls at Georgia Tech?

Three dining halls at Georgia Tech support meal swipes for those with an Unlimited Meal Plan or who want to use Dining Dollars on cafeteria-style meals.

Those three dining halls at Georgia Tech are:

North Ave

120 North Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Monday – Friday: 7 am – 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday: 9 am to 9 pm

Brittain

649 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30330
Monday – Friday: 7 am – 10 pm, closed on Saturday and Sunday

West Village

532 8th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Monday – Friday: 7 am – 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday: 9 am to 9 pm

Are there restaurants in the Georgia Tech student union?

Due to the construction at the Georgia Tech Student Center, food options are limited.

Instead, students will have to visit other on-campus locations for non-dining hall meals. The Dining Hub at Exhibition Hall is hosting a Panda Express location as well as a Twisted Taco.

What are the closest grocery stores to Georgia Tech?

The closest full-service grocery store to the Georgia Tech campus is the Publix Super Market at the Plaza Midtown, located at 950 W Peachtree Street NW.

This Publix location is across I-85 on the northeast side of campus and is about a 22-minute walk from the GA Student Center. Another nearby option close to many off-campus apartment communities is the Whole Foods Market at 22 14th Street NW at the intersection of 14th and Peachtree Street.

Find your next home at Georgia Tech

As we look ahead to the end of the fall semester, there’s no better time to secure housing for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. And for Georgia Tech students, there’s no better option for an off-campus apartment than Square on Fifth.

square-on-fifth-student-apartments-and-student-living-in-midtown-atlanta-concept

Square on Fifth is a student housing high-rise community located at 848 Spring Street NW, just across Interstate 85 from the Georgia Tech campus. Square on Fifth offers one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartments on individual lease agreements, with selections available for units higher up in the building to enjoy amazing views of Midtown and Downtown Atlanta. The community offers a rooftop pool, outdoor lounge, study spaces, indoor lounge, and a fitness center with fantastic city views.

For information about pricing and availability, contact the Square on Fifth team today at (888) 642-1230.