Guides · By Victor Hardt · Updated · 4 min read
The UChicago calendar for Hyde Park restaurants, 2026-27
First-years land Tuesday, September 22, everyone else by the 27th, and classes start Monday the 28th. Then they are here until Friday, December 11, with a dip over Thanksgiving week and a hard stop for winter break until January 4.
The university spreads these dates across several pages. This page puts them in one table, with what each date means for a restaurant: when students are in Hyde Park, when they eat on the meal plan, and when they leave.
Autumn 2026 at a glance
| Date | What happens | What it means on 53rd |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Sep 22 | First-year move-in, 8 am to 7 pm. Meal plans started the same day. | Families in town for the day. First-years eat in the halls from night one. |
| Wed Sep 23 | Convocation, 3:30 pm, Rockefeller. Family reception after. | Parents still on campus. The College runs family sessions that day. |
| Fri Sep 25 to Sun Sep 27 | Returning students move in, from 8 am Friday. | Returning students are back. |
| Sat Sep 26 to Sun Sep 27 | Hyde Park Jazz Festival, free. | Extra foot traffic from people who aren't students. |
| Mon Sep 28 | First day of classes. | The quarter started. The first Pool deals went live. |
| Tue Sep 29 | The StruggleBeard Bakery deal on Pool starts. | One more Pool deal opens. |
| Wed Sep 30 | The B'Gabs deal on Pool starts. | One more Pool deal opens. |
| Thu Oct 1 | Deep Purpl, Nando's, Dawn A.M. Eatery, Sweet Drip and The Sit Down start their Pool deals. | The rest of the Pool deals open. |
| Sun Oct 11 | Chicago Marathon. | Runners and spectators across the city. |
| Mon Oct 12 | Week 3. Fourth Meal starts. | From now on, anyone on a meal plan can eat on campus Monday to Thursday, 9 pm to midnight. |
| Fri Oct 16 | Add/drop closes. | The last day to change a class. |
| Fri Oct 16 to Sun Oct 18 | Family Weekend. | Families in Hyde Park for the weekend. |
| Mon Nov 23 to Fri Nov 27 | Thanksgiving break. Residence halls stay open. Last year the Cathey and Bartlett dining halls closed, and Baker and Woodlawn stayed open. | Fewer dining options are open on campus. |
| Sat Dec 5 to Mon Dec 7 | Reading period. | Studying for finals. |
| Tue Dec 8 to Fri Dec 11 | Finals. Meal plans end Friday Dec 11. | The last full week of the quarter. |
| Sat Dec 12 to Sun Dec 13 | Quarter ends. Residence halls close Sunday at noon. | Campus empties out. |
| Sat Jan 2, Mon Jan 4 | Residence halls reopen Saturday at 8 am. Winter quarter starts Monday. | Students are back. |
2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8). Free for verified UChicago students, live Monday, September 28.
Get PoolWhat the meal plan covers
Every first-year is on a meal plan, and the default is Unlimited. It costs $2,839 a quarter for unlimited swipes, plus $100 in Dining Dollars that only work on campus. This matters more to a restaurant than any single date.
Students pay cash for the meals the halls don't cover. The first is late night, before Fourth Meal starts in week 3 and after midnight once it does. Saturday night is another, when Baker and Cathey close at 2:30 pm, along with anything on 53rd, 55th or 57th that isn't cafeteria food. Then there is all of winter break. Break housing cost $1,100 in 2024, per the Maroon, with no dining, so students who stay from December 13 to January 2 cook or eat out for three weeks.
Upperclassmen are on different plans. The Apartment plan is 80 swipes a quarter and the Gothic plan is 100. Per Housing, students have to live on campus for six quarters, and after that a student can move off campus. Dining's meal plan requirement covers students in University housing.
Where the openings are
Your best openings are the times the meal plan doesn't cover: late night, weekends, Family Weekend and winter break. The first two weeks matter too, before students settle into habits. That is why Pool's first deals went live on the first day of classes.
Getting them through your door
Pool is a food deals app for UChicago students, with 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl and 2-for-1 subs at Subway. A restaurant joins free and offers either a 2-for-1 or a free extra with a meal. Verified students book it in the app, show a pass at the counter and pay you for one. Pool charges restaurants no fee or commission right now, and there is nothing to install. Tell Pool how many spots each window should hold, and Pool can pause the deal for you. The guide on getting UChicago students through the door has the rest.
On Pool this quarter. The app is free right now.
- 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl
- 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street
- 2-for-1 half chicken plates at Nando's PERi-PERi
- 2-for-1 Philly sandwiches at B'Gabs Comfort Cafe
- 2-for-1 jerk or honey wings at Ja' Grill
- 2-for-1 Wagyu Steak Frites at Chemistry
- 2-for-1 wraps, salads and bowls at Litehouse Whole Food Grill
- 2-for-1 chicken shawarma wraps at Cedars
- a free refresher with any treat at StruggleBeard Bakery
- a free third taco or a free drink with a Taco Dinner at 5 Rabanitos
- 2-for-1 Indian combo meals at Rajun Cajun
- 2-for-1 chicken and waffle bites at Dawn A.M. Eatery
- 2-for-1 lattes at Sweet Drip
- 2-for-1 sushi, pizza and more at The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar
Live Monday, September 28. StruggleBeard Bakery starts Tuesday, September 29. B'Gabs Comfort Cafe starts Wednesday, September 30. Rajun Cajun, Dawn A.M. Eatery, Sweet Drip and The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar start Thursday, October 1. Deep Purpl and Nando's PERi-PERi start Thursday, October 8.
Questions people ask
- When do UChicago students come back in fall 2026?
- First-years move in Tuesday, September 22. Returning students move in Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27. Classes start Monday, September 28.
- When is UChicago Family Weekend 2026?
- Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, confirmed on the College's own Family Weekend page.
- When are UChicago students away?
- Thanksgiving break is Monday, November 23 to Friday, November 27, and the residence halls stay open that week. Winter break comes next. The quarter ends Saturday, December 12, the halls close Sunday, December 13 at noon and reopen Saturday, January 2, and winter quarter starts Monday, January 4.
- Do UChicago students eat off campus?
- First-years in University housing are on a meal plan, and the default for them is Unlimited. Fourth Meal covers 9 pm to midnight Monday to Thursday from week 3. The meals the plan does not cover are late night, Saturday night after Baker and Cathey close at 2:30 pm, and all of winter break, when break housing comes with no dining.