Dining Experience

Stacks

(Sandwiches)
Roast Turkey, Cranberry Pesto & Smoked Cheddar
Corn beef, Swiss & Slaw
Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese & Arugula

Grill

Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers
Grilled Cheese
Hot Dogs
Hand cut French Fries
Classic BLTs

Cucina

Daily artisanal pizzas
Bowtie Pasta w/ Roasted Peppers, Basil & Olive Oil
Fettuccini alfredo
Penne w/ Italian Sausage & Marinara
Shrimp Scampi

Vegetarian Kettle

(Soup)
Tomato & Rice
Potato & Leek
Black Bean & Pumpkin
Apple & Butternut Squash Soup
Cream of Cauliflower

Classics

BBQ Chicken Quarters
Macaroni and cheese
Spicy Kale & Beans with Couscous
Pan seared Georges Bank Sea Scallops
Scalloped Potatoes
Sugar Snap Peas & Fresh Mushrooms
Sautéed Moroccan Style Mussels
Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos
Roasted Mixed Vegetables
Wilted Spinach
Braised Lebanese Eggplant with Chickpeas
Gulf of Maine baked Haddock
Grilled Flank Steak w/ Mushroom Gravy
Sweet Potato Frittata
Polenta-Greens Cake with Black Eyed Pea Salsa

Kettle

(Soup)
Spicy Thai Chicken
Turkey Chili
Chicken & Brown Rice
Beef Noodle
Rhode Island Clam Chowder

Food Allergens, Celiac Disease, and Special Dietary Needs at Roger Williams University

Our Commitment 

It is a priority at Roger Williams University that all students have the ability to dine safely on campus with peers. We recognize that dining is a significant part of the college experience and we strive to provide a safe environment for all students.

Our goal is to provide students with tools for them to actively manage their food allergy or celiac disease in our cafe's. We want students to be prepared to advocate for their needs and we are here to help facilitate a safe transition to living at college with allergies.

Each student with dietary needs can develop a plan with the University. Accessibility Services, Dining Services, and Health Services will collaborate with students who have food allergies, celiac disease, or other dietary conditions to provide appropriate accommodations.

Our Policy

Awareness - Guests are notified of the use of food allergens

We use foods from many different vendors and cook from scratch in our kitchens. The "major 9 allergens" are peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, eggs, milk, sesame, and wheat. These ingredients are commonly used in our kitchens. In scratch-based cooking hundreds of ingredients can be combined in thousands of ways. For this reason, we seek to communicate with students regarding safe options for their needs.

Descriptive menu nomenclature

We menu our daily specials to include "major 9 allergens" as much as possible (i.e. fried rice with egg), however we are not always able to capture sub-ingredients or "processed in the same facility as" statements. Individual communication with the guest plays a critical role in this system as not all "major 8 allergens" can reasonably be captured in most signage programs.

Building relationships with guests - fostering individual communication

We feel strongly that due to product changes, menu flexibility, scratch cooking style, and other varying factors, it is never safe to assume food allergens can be adequately addressed through signage without direct communication with diners. Individual communication also allows us to discuss alternative options when there is an uncontrollable cross-contact concern such as in the case of shared equipment or air borne flour.

Direction questions to management, not servers

We do not allow our servers to answer food allergen questions. All ingredient questions are directed to a trained manager or culinary lead who can assist the guest in determining the content of the item in question. Servers are educated in common menu ingredients at daily meetings as well how to avoid cross contact and respond to food allergen issues.

Fostering individual communication

In addition to the steps noted above, at Roger Williams we work one-on-one with students so that the chefs, culinary leads, and managers get to know each student with a special need to develop a rapport. A representative of dining will sit with each student that needs special accommodations and go over their dietary form. At the same time management will review the menus and stations in their preferred dining cafe so they can ask questions and meet the chefs, culinary leads, and managers. The student's needs will determine their specific accommodations.

Your Responsibilities

A three-step process allows a student to request accommodations related to food allergies, celiac disease, or other dietary conditions that require dietary accommodations. We recommend that students with food allergies, celiac disease, or other dietary conditions contact Dining Services to ask questions about the process and to discuss their individual needs.

1. Notify Student Accessibility Services (SAS) that you have a condition requiring accommodations. As an incoming student you'll also be required to list all allergies in your Health Services forms.
2. Contact Dining Services to fill out our Allergen Notification form.
3. After notifying Dining, a manager will be in contact to meet to discuss appropriate accommodations to meet your needs.

As Needed

• Request dining staff to change gloves-use fresh utensils or pans (at made-to-order stations)-to reduce risk of cross-contact.
• Request meals to be plated for you to avoid cross-contact.
• Use the gluten-free bread products and cereals, dairy/milk alternatives, and the dedicated gluten-free toaster and waffle-maker at the Upper Commons.
• Ask for wipes at the cashier's desk to sanitize your table to remove crumbs or other allergens.

If you observe a problem, or wish to discuss your allergy-related needs, please inform manager so they can investigate your concern.

Please know: If you do not make your dietary needs known to us we cannot assist you. If we do not hear from you, we believe you are successfully navigating on-campus dining.

Nine Major Allergens and Our Approach

• Peanuts
• Tree nuts 
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Soy
• Eggs
• Milk
• Wheat 
• Sesame

Because we have open kitchens and prepare foods using the nine major allergens in our service areas guests are asked to consult with the manager on duty as to all food ingredient concerns.

"Descriptive and responsible menu-item nomenclature" is part of our awareness program. This means we describe or "name" our menu items as best we can to reflect ingredients or components of a dish that represents or contains allergens. In some cases, allergens are obvious ingredients or components of dishes, and is pretty simple to identify the allergen in the name of the item; for example: "Coconut Macaroons" or "Sauteed Bok Choy with sesame oil".

In other cases, the allergens are not so obvious because they are "sub-ingredients" of ingredients of a dish, such as color and flavor additives and spice blends present in commercial products. An example is soy sauce has the hidden ingredient wheat in it.

Our management team is encouraged to bring manufacturer packaging/labels to the guest to permit the food-allergic individual to review the ingredient information themselves. This allows at-risk individuals to make their own informed decisions about food choices. They are also trained on the importance of discussing preparation procedures (like deep fat frying), and the potential for cross-contact with allergens in the operation.

As described above, through individual communication students can work with the managers to make sure safe meal options are available. Students can text or call a manager to let them know they are coming to a particular meal so the appropriate steps can be made.

For example, if a student has a specific food intolerance or allergy, and we know they are coming for dinner, we have the capability to make them a plate and set it aside in a warmer before we put the food out.

Dining Facilities and Meal Plans

Our Cafes

The Upper Commons is the University's main all-you-care-to-eat cafe. The cafe is open continuously between breakfast and dinner and offers classic comfort food, house made pizzas and pasta, a cook-to-order Mongolian wok, full deli, grill specials, and a bountiful salad bar. 

The Lower Commons is our main retail cafe featuring the Hawk's Deli, pizzas and calzones, grill favorites, salad bar, Grab & Go, and sushi

The Law School Cafe serves a full breakfast menu before transforming into a traditional taqueria restaurant for lunch.

The Hawk's Nest is located in the Rec Center serving made-to-order smoothies, coffee, Grab & Go, and house made pastries.

The Global Cafe serves Starbucks coffee and specializes in espresso drinks, but also features breakfast sandwiches and warm lunch sandwiches.

The Cafe Express is located in CAS and serves Grab & Go, coffee, soups, and snacks.

Our Stations at Upper Commons

The following are few of the options we already have in place.

• Dedicated Made-Without-Gluten destination: We have a made-without-gluten station that includes breakfast items, pizza, daily soups, and sweets
• Cucina always serves made-without-gluten pasta upon request and our deli always offers made-without-gluten breads
• Our house-made French fries are fried in a segregated fryer to avoid cross contact with gluten-containing foods
• Nut butters are provided apart from any main serving line to avoid cross contamination
• Our Global wok provides separate cooking pans for students with concern of cross contact
• We offer a dedicated dairy-free cooler for soy, almond, and rice milks
• Terra serves vegan specialties during lunch and dinner while you can also find vegetarian and vegan dishes at Classics during every meal time-including baked goods
• Vegetarian entrees are offered at all stations during every service time

Circle of Responsibility

We believe in a holistic approach to wellness, in which purposeful menu offerings support the well-being of guests, enhance performance, and inspire connection and creativity. Our COR icons that populate our menus allow our guests can make informed food choices throughout our cafes.

• Vegetarian
  • Contains no meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, or products derived from these sources but may contain dairy or eggs.
• Vegan
  • Contains absolutely no animal or dairy products.
• Made Without Gluten Containing Ingredients
  • Made without gluten-containing ingredients. Please speak with an on-site manager to learn how these items are prepared in our open kitchens that also handle gluten for other menu items.
• Halal
  • Relating to meat prepared as prescribed by Muslim law.
• In Balance
  • Contains a balanced portion of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein, with a minimum amount of healthy fat.
• Seafood Watch
  • Contains seafood that meets the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guidelines for commercial buyers.
• Farm To Fork
  • Contains seasonal, minimally processed ingredients from a local farm, ranch, or fishing boat.
• Locally Crafted
  • Contains products crafted by a small, locally owned food business using socially and/ or environmentally responsible practices.
• Humane
  • Contains humanely raised meat, poultry, or eggs. Must be certified by a creditable third-party animal welfare organization.

Made without gluten-containing ingredients (MWGCI)

To identify these options, look for items labeled "↓G". These menu items are prepared using ingredients that do not contain gluten and steps are taken to manage the risk of cross-contact. We identify menu items in this manner (instead of "gluten-free") because all of our food is prepared in open kitchens, so our kitchens are not gluten-free environments. For most guests, the steps we take to control for cross-contact yield choices that they can safely eat. However, labeling in this manner gives us the opportunity to alert guests who may have reactions to smaller traces of gluten, such as what might occur with airborne flour. In these cases, we will work with guests individually on additional dining options.

Contacts

James Gubata - General Manager
401-254-3399
jgubata@rwu.edu

Jon Cambra - Executive Chef
401-254-3547
jcambra@rwu.edu

Derek Jolie - Executive Sous Chef
401-413-9469
djolie@rwu.edu

Don Fitting - Operation Manager
401-418-1282
dfitting@rwu.edu

Josh Hennessy - Upper Commons Manager
401-254-5372
jhennessy@rwu.edu

Joe Solmonese - Retail Manager
413-487-5636
jsolmonese@rwu.edu

Hani Gittens - Upper Commons Manager
561-584-1365
hgittens@rwu.edu

Allison Zzie - Catering Manager
845-826-4906
azzie@rwu.edu