Mason residential and retail dining locations opened in August when the community returned to our campuses. We’ve implemented several safety precautions.
You’ll find fewer tables due to physical distancing guidelines, and will need an online reservation through Yelp to eat at residential dining locations. Up to four people can sit together. There will be a virtual waitlist when spaces are full. Only guests with meal plans will be admitted; we won't be able to accommodate cash customers.
Dine-In Services
Residential dine-in facilities include:
- Fairfax Campus: Southside (up to 199 seats) and Ike’s (up to 155 seats).
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation: The Commons.
What you won't find at residential dining facilities:
- Self-service buffet or made-to-order stations.
- Bar seating.
- Take-out service.
- Condiment dispensers (single-serve packets will be available on request).
- Microwaves and toasters.
- Samples.
Pick-up and-Carry Out Service
If you’re in a hurry or can’t get a reservation, Mason has added a prepackaged meal carry-out program through Gold Rush (lower level of Southside) on the Fairfax Campus.
All dining locations on the Fairfax Campus will use Mason’s Starship robot delivery service. The devices will be sanitized for each order and disinfected overnight. GrubHub will also be available.
Retail dining options are expected to include:
| Fairfax Retail Dining Options | ||
|---|---|---|
| One Stop | Starbucks | Steak 'n Shake |
| Chipotle | Manhattan Pizza | Panda Express |
| Akeno Sushi | Panera | Wing Zone |
Au Bon Pain at the Arlington Campus and Randall's Cafe at the SciTech Campus have closed, at least temporarily, due to lack of customers.
Health and Safety Precautions
In addition to physical distancing requirements, Mason dining facilities will follow specific procedures to lower health risks.
- Tables and chairs will be disinfected after each seating.
- Attendants will staff self-serve beverage stations to perform frequent disinfecting (every 30 minutes) and to prevent use of personal containers or reuse of dining cups.
- Separate Entrance and Exit doors will be marked whenever possible.
- Dining hall plates and cups will be handed to guests by attendants.
- Single-use forks, knives, spoons, and napkins will be distributed by touchless dispensers.
- Hand sanitizer stations will be added throughout dining halls.
- High-contact surfaces will be cleaned every hour.
- Technology will reduce person-to-person interaction such as ordering and payment.
- Plexiglass barriers will be placed between point-of-sale registers and payment terminals.
- Signs, decals, barriers, and stanchions will manage foot traffic.