Shake Smart ended one of its most criticized practices Monday. Previously, students could not use a meal exchange to pay between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Now, meal exchanges are accepted during all hours, but some students say the change hasn’t come without a cost. 

Since opening in September 2023, Shake Smart has become a popular dining option for students looking for relatively healthy meals in Norris University Center. A once-prized spot for those who loved early morning acai bowls and smoothies, the smoothie bar used to be  open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s now open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Some say the later schedule has been devastating for early-rising students across campus.

“I’d go and get a shake before class all the time,” said Weinberg freshman Songlin Li. “The new hours make that impossible, unfortunately.”

Shake Smart was among several Norris vendors that updated their schedules Monday based on previous transaction data and student feedback. According to Norris Executive Director Corbin Smyth, the changes will become permanent if they are successful through the rest of Spring Quarter.

For Shake Smart in particular, part of the goal is to shorten long lines it often had during its window of meal exchange-eligible hours.

In its first week, though, that issue has not disappeared. Soon after opening at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, the line stretched past Norris’ front desk — a contrast to earlier this year, where students could expect little foot traffic during Shake Smart’s first few hours of operation. 

However, for some students, the changes have been worthwhile for those who like to get their smoothies later in the day.

“This is my first time here without the blocked meal exchange times,” said McCormick sophomore Anna Schuller. “The line is longer than I thought it would be, but it’s not so bad compared to right at 2 (p.m.), when it used to be so long.”

Schuller had her first ever lunchtime meal at Shake Smart on Tuesday. She said she enjoys the flexibility of the new schedule.

McCormick sophomore Zach Braffman, one of many early risers who used to frequent Shake Smart before class, shared a more negative opinion.

For him, the new hours aren’t just inconvenient — they have also disinterested him from using his meal exchanges there. He said he doesn’t care to have Shake Smart midday.

“Probably not gonna be coming very often,” Braffman said. “It doesn’t really line up with breakfast anymore and it’s not typically a lunch food.”

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