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Your Guide To Summer Session Eating, CATA, And Bookstore Hours

Being a Summer Session freshman is complicated enough, a struggle that is only compounded by living in an abbreviated version of State College that is so much different than Penn State during the school year. Searching the internet for seasonal hours for things like dining and the buses can be surprisingly difficult on top of learning how college works and being away from home for (potentially) the first time.

To make your first semester at University Park a bit easier (or maybe just your first summer semester), we compiled a guide of the summer hours of the on-campus dining facilities. While the majority of your meals will likely be covered by the residential dining commons, we also included the hours of other go-to locations on campus, as well as the CATA bus schedule and when the bookstores will be open. Monday through Sunday, breakfast through study snack, we’ve got your Summer Session cravings covered.

Residence Hall Dining

South Dining Commons will be the only residential dining hall open during both summer session I and II (which probably the best option, in our opinion).

Summer Session I May 8 – June 25

Hot Steele & Noodles

Fresco y Caliente

Breakfast Mon – Fri 7 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Southside Buffet Lunch

Lunch

Brunch

Dinner

Mon – Fri

Sat

Sun

Sun – Sat

11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

4:30 p.m. – 7 a.m.

Louie’s and Off The Ground* Mon – Fri 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

 *Louie’s and Off the Ground will be closed on Memorial Day (Monday, May 30)

Summer Session II June 26 – August 13

Southside Buffet Breakfast

Lunch

Lunch

Brunch

Dinner

Mon – Fri

Mon – Fri

Sat

Sun

Sun – Sat

7 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Hot Steele & Noodles

Fresco Y Caliente

Breakfast

Mon – Fri

(a la carte)

7 a.m – 9:30 a.m.
Urban Garden

In a Pickle

Redifer City Grill

Sun – Sat

 

 

11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Louie’s and Off The Ground** Mon – Fri

Sat – Sun

7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

9 a.m. – 11 p.m.

**Off the Ground will be closed on Independence Day (Monday, July 4)

Additional On-Campus Dining

Au Bon Pain (various locations) Mon – Fri 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
MacKinnon’s Café Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
All HUB Dining Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Starbucks (In the HUB) Mon – Fri Summer I: 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Summer II: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Berkey Creamery Mon – Thurs

Fri

Sat

Sun

7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

8 a.m. – 11 p.m.

9 a.m. – 10 p.m.

 

CATA Buses

The CATA bus schedule runs on “reduced service” from May 9-August 19, with no service on Memorial Day (Monday, May 30) or Independence Day (Monday, July 4). Here’s what you need to know for every other day of summer session:

Blue Loop (clockwise around campus and downtown on College Ave.) Mon – Fri

 

 

 

4:45 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. every 20-24 min.

7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.  every 5-12 min.

6 p.m. – 10 p.m.     every 20-24 min.

Red Link (back and forth across campus between Innovation Park and West Campus on Curtin Road and Park Ave.) Mon – Fri

Sat

 

4:45 a.m. – 7 p.m.

8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

**with frequencies according to this schedule

 

Bookstores

Finally, here are the hours of a few places a bit less important than food and transportation, but that you should probably visit during your first week on campus or at any other time throughout the summer.

Penn State Bookstore Mon – Fri

Sat

Sun

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Student Bookstore (Downtown) Mon – Thurs

Fri

Sat

Sun

8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

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About the Author

Olivia DeBellis

Olivia DeBellis is a writer for Onward State. She is currently a freshman pursuing a double major in Food Science and Nutrition here in Happy Valley. She enjoys people watching, long runs with food at the finish, and binge watching HGTV. Follow her @OliviaADeBellis or send her an email at [email protected].

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