During the last University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) executive elections, the UTMSU executive committee promised students they would introduce Free Dinner Fridays in addition to the pre-existing Free Breakfast Wednesdays to support students facing food insecurity.

At a candidates’ forum during the elections, the committee had also assured students that their fees would not increase as a result of this new opportunity. Instead, the union would fund Free Dinner Fridays by reallocating its existing resources and through potential sponsorships.

On November 28, 2025, the UTMSU hosted their first Free Dinner Friday at The Blind Duck as part of their Food Insecurity Campaign, offering students pasta with red or white sauce.

Exam season exclusive?

It has not been clear if Free Dinner Fridays were exclusively an exam season initiative or would become a common occurrence, like the UTMSU’s bi-weekly Free Breakfast Wednesdays or weekly meals by the U of T Food Coalition at UTSG. 

Despite referring to the opportunity as “Free Dinner Fridays” during the elections, UTMSU President Andrew Park also mentioned that his committee would provide “free dinners during exam periods” in a September interview with The Medium.

At the UTMSU’s 2025 Annual General Meeting, a UTMSU executive said, “We are so excited to introduce free dinner Fridays, with our first one happening tomorrow.” 

In a January 9 email to The Varsity, UTMSU Vice President (VP) External Rajas Dhamija clarified that Free Dinner Fridays are currently being run as a pilot program, adding that it is intended to be an ongoing initiative rather than a one-time event.

Dhamija wrote that the UTMSU plans to continue the program in the winter term and that “they may not occur at the same frequency as Free Breakfast Wednesdays at this stage… Increasing their regularity is something we hope to work toward in the future.”

On January 6, the UTMSU posted the winter 2026 term’s January schedule for Free Breakfast Wednesdays on their Instagram page, with the first being held on January 7. Free Dinner Fridays have not yet been mentioned.

Finance and attendance

The UTMSU hosted its first Free Dinner Friday at its restaurant, The Blind Duck, which ran a deficit of $138,246 last year. After student levies, the pub ended the year with a surplus of $156. 

When asked if Free Dinner Fridays would have an impact on The Blind Duck’s future financial performance, Dhamija explained that The Blind Duck operates on a separate budget that will not be influenced by Free Dinner Fridays.

An estimated 250–400 students are expected to attend Free Dinner Fridays based on the UTMSU’s attendance data from its first event and Free Breakfast Wednesdays.