Food Service and Meal Plans

Dining Options

From regional and international specialties to vegetarian and vegan cuisine, Franklin's dining services in the North Campus Dining Hall and the Grotto in Kaletsch Campus, serve a large variety of healthy, tasty and fresh food options using local, fair trade and sustainable products. While cash and credit cards are accepted at all Franklin dining centers, the Falcon Card is the most convenient method of payment for students dining on-campus.

The North Campus Dining Hall

The North Campus Dining Hall is a great place to meet between classes on the North Campus, whether to study with friends or just grab a quick coffee on the go. It is a cafeteria-style dining room offering a wide variety of local and international cuisine. All food that is served in the North Campus Dining Hall is freshly prepared every day.

North Campus Dining Hall Hours:

The open hours for the Dining Hall are shared in the Student Life Information and Resources Teams Channel.                                                       

The Grotto

The Grotto, Franklin University Switzerland’s "grab and go" eatery, located on the Kaletsch Campus is a place to rejuvenate in a relaxing, laid-back atmosphere. At the Grotto, you can use your meal debit card plan, cash or credit card to purchase coffee, drinks, snacks and a wide variety of other food items, including burgers, veggie burgers, salads, pastas, wraps and a daily full meal special.

The Grotto is available for special programming and evening events as requested and scheduled by student clubs. The Grotto offers staging, lighting and sound systems to accommodate dances, karaoke, bingo, poetry readings and any other events organized by members of the Franklin Community.

Grotto Hours:

The open hours for the Grotto are shared in the Student Life Information and Resources Teams Channel.   

First-Year Students

All First Year Students are required to purchase a CHF 1,600.00 meal card plan on their Falcon Card for each of their first two semesters at Franklin (not including summer). Money paid for the mandatory Meal Plans cannot be rolled over from semester to semester. So, be sure to watch your balance and spend down any remaining funds at the end of the fall semester (December) and at the end of the spring semester (May). Students will be billed for this expense, which they can choose to pay directly to the Office of the Bursar or by credit card at Online Payments. There will be no charge for the Falcon Card.

Note: First Year Students are defined as students attending university as full-time students for their first time or not having the credit hours needed to meet the requirements to be a Second Year Student (sophomore). Second year (sophomore) status students have different requirements—please see below.

Second-Year Students

All Second-Year Students are required to purchase a CHF 500.00 meal plan on their Falcon Card for each of their second-year status semesters at Franklin (not including summer). Money paid for the mandatory Meal Plans cannot be rolled over from semester to semester. So, be sure to watch your balance and spend down any remaining funds at the end of the fall semester (December) and at the end of the spring semester (May). Students will be billed for this expense, which they can choose to pay directly to the Office of the Bursar or by credit card at Online Payments. There will be no charge for the Falcon Card.

Note: Second Year Students are defined as students attending college as full-time students for their second full year and as transfer students with sophomore status (more than 30 and less than 60 earned credits). Students with credit hours giving them third-year status (junior) are not required to purchase a meal plan.

All Other Students

There is no meal plan requirement for students after their second year at Franklin or who have achieved third-year status (see above for full explanation). However, students can choose any one of the following meal debit card options.

Students can choose one of these options by either making a payment by credit card at Online Payments or by directly paying in cash or by credit card at the North Campus Dining Hall.

Debit Plan Benefits 

Having a meal debit option not only ensures that you always have access to a nutritious meal or a between class snack while on campus. For parents, it is a great way of knowing that your son or daughter has access to a nutritious meal at a reasonable price.