Let’s face it: Mizzou’s dining plans and options are confusing. Plaza 900 only serves brunch on the weekends, the dining plan discount varies by the dining hall and weird hours seem to be a staple of Missouri dining.
There is a lot to figure out when it comes to Mizzou dining, but fret not. We’ve decided to share all of our insider tips with you to conquer Mizzou dining, and not be like a certain someone (me!) and waste a month of your meal money because you don’t know what you’re doing.
THE BASICS
First things first, let’s break down how the dining plans actually work. Mizzou has three dining plan options – Zou Platinum, Gold and Silver – each of which includes an administrative fee and the dining dollars. The dining dollars are what you purchase food with, while the administrative fee goes toward upkeep of dining halls and staff salaries, meaning what you pay for your dining plan doesn’t match the exact amount you get in dining dollars.
The most important thing to know about Mizzou dining is that dining plan discount varies by location. Reference the chart below to see how each dining location varies:
| Location | Percentage Taken Off |
| Plaza 900, The Mark (lunch only) | 63% |
| Mizzou Markets and Subways | 20% |
| All other dining locations | 50% |
| Panda Express and Sunshine Sushi | NO DISCOUNT |
It’s easy to not realize the discounts vary by location, so we want to emphasize that Panda Express and Sunshine Sushi have no discounts for students using dining dollars. No one wants to make the mistake of spending $10 on a meal they thought would be $5.
Freshman Katherine Keely found that while it might be difficult to figure out what each meal should cost, it was doable with a bit of extra effort.
“I know that with my meal plan I’m supposed to buy two meals a day, but sometimes I don’t know if I’m spending too much on a meal,” Keely said. “Generally, I’ll just calculate what my balance should be on any given day and adjust my spending.”
If you still have questions about the specifics of the dining plans and discounts, click here for more information from the Mizzou website.
HOW TO NAVIGATE THE OPTIONS
Trying to pick a place to eat can start to feel pretty overwhelming when you factor in time constraints between classes, avoiding long lines and finding food you’ll actually like. To help lessen the stress, I recommend two apps: GoMizzou and GET Mobile.
These apps will quickly become your best friends. GoMizzou allows users to view the hours of dining halls and menus for the day, with freshman Hannah Wyrick citing its usefulness on the weekends.
“I use it [GoMizzou] a lot more on the weekends,” Wyrick said. “The hours can be weird, so it’s a good way to easily see what’s open and what’s not.”
While the GET Mobile app doesn’t show menus or hours for all the dining halls, it lets you monitor your dining dollar total, which is important to stay aware of if you want to stay within your dining plan for the semester. Another major plus is that it allows you to place online orders to Baja Grill, Do Mundo’s, Sabai, Pizza & MO, Wings & MO and Potential Energy Cafe. Placing online orders is great for when you have a short window between classes or don’t want to waste your time standing in line. That being said, pickup times can fill up fast, so be sure to plan ahead if you want to order from the app.
PERSONAL FAVORITES
Now that you’re equipped with the basic knowledge of how dining plans work and what the options are, we’ll share some of our personal favorites.
Plaza 900 (depending on what’s being served) is usually a reliable choice, but can get repetitive day after day. Wheatstone is another solid choice, but lines during lunch rush can get long, so keep that in mind if you’re trying to get food quickly.
The title of our ultimate favorite location would have to go to Emporium. It took me about two weeks to find, but ever since then I’ll stop by at least a couple times a week. A mix between a sandwich shop and grab-and-go market, Emporium gives students the option of hot sandwiches, ranging from a classic turkey and swiss to Italian sub. I’m a big fan of their value meal, which includes either a turkey and swiss or ham and cheese sandwich with chips and a fountain drink, and once discounts are factored in, it’s a cheaper lunch or dinner than you could get at Plaza 900.
Tigers, don’t let the choices intimidate you, or feel like you have to use your dining dollars the same way someone else does. At the end of the day, you know your own schedule and what works best for you.