Courtesy Photo | The U.S. Army’s third Campus-Style Dining Venue (CSDV) is slated to open its doors...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (July 8, 2026) -- The U.S. Army’s third Campus-Style Dining Venue (CSDV) is slated to open its doors at Fort Drum for a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 30.
The Belvedere Bistro, located in Bldg. 10305 on South Riva Ridge Loop, will offer Soldiers – and the community at large – a modern, university-style food court experience, featuring extended hours, diverse culinary stations, and a focus on nutrition.
The name of the new CSDV as the Belvedere Bistro is a tribute to a defining moment in 10th Mountain Division history. In February 1945, Mountain Soldiers executed an unprecedented series of nighttime assaults – first on Riva Ridge and then Mount Belvedere – to break the German Gothic Line in the Northern Apennines in Italy.
As with the naming of Mount Belvedere Boulevard at Fort Drum, Belvedere Bistro will serve as a daily reminder of the division’s alpine heritage and its legacy of courage, skill, and fortitude.
The Fort Drum opening follows the successful launches of the Army's first two CSDV locations: the 42 Bistro at Fort Hood, Texas, and the Stack House Bistro at Fort Carson, Colorado. All three facilities are managed and operated by Compass Group USA, Inc.
Early feedback has shown that Soldiers value the expanded food choices and the ability to get meals and snacks during non-traditional hours when standard dining facilities are typically closed.
Freedom Dollars
Soldiers living in the barracks can use their meal cards to purchase food at the Belvedere Bistro at any time throughout the day. Under the CSDV model, three meals a day converts to $39 in “Freedom Dollar values” – $9.57 breakfast, $15.86 lunch, and $13.57 dinner.
Unused “dollars” for breakfast will roll into lunch, and then from lunch to dinner. Soldiers can keep track of the remaining balance on their receipts. The value resets each day back to $39.
“Freedom Dollars” can be used to cover the difference in a meal. For example, if breakfast goes over the $9.57 value, they can choose to use part of the lunch value to pay the total cost of the meal. But because they’ve scanned and used part of their lunch value, they must use the remainder of it at the Bistro (instead of using their meal card for lunch at another dining facility or kiosk on post).
Ahead of the Belvedere Bistro opening, each battalion’s S-1 section is tasked with ensuring that Soldiers’ CACs are properly set with the right Meal Entitlement Code (MEC 09) for scan access.
Upon arrival and sign-in at the Mountain Reception Company, new Soldiers have their meal card codes updated as part of the in-processing procedure. First Sgt. Danielle Snow, Mountain Reception Company first sergeant, said this ensures Soldiers’ CACs are properly configured so they have access to the dining facilities.
She said the process has been working effectively and they have not experienced any issues with Soldiers using their cards throughout their 10 days of in-processing.
“Our goal remains to ensure 100 percent of incoming Soldiers are fully prepared for scan access prior to departing the reception company,” Snow said.
Everyone else is welcome to dine at the Belvedere Bistro and pay a la carte as they would at any other restaurant.
Alpine Express
A third Alpine Express bus and a residential route have been added to the free on-post transportation service this week, which will make it easier for Soldiers and community members to dine at the Bistro.
“The addition of a third Residential Route bus has improved transportation service across multiple routes, and allowed us to add new stops, including the Belvedere Bistro,” said Christine Robinson, Fort Drum Plans, Analysis and Integration Office (PAIO) management and program analyst. “Riders will experience faster service across all scheduled stops on the Main Post route.”
Robinson said that new stops to the Bistro have also been assed to the South Post / Airfield Route. Although the Residential Route bus does not stop directly at the Bistro, riders can easily transfer to the South Post bus at the Exchange during coordinated breakfast, lunch, and dinner stops.
There will be a soft opening ahead of the grand opening to allow Bistro staff to test workflow, receive feedback, and allow Soldiers to preview the non-traditional dining facility ordering process. Rather than a standard cafeteria line, the venue will feature digital ordering kiosks where people can select their meal from an array of culinary stations.
While the finalized menus are still being curated, patrons can expect options such as made-to-order sandwiches, grilled items, expansive salad bars, and globally inspired dishes.
In the weeks ahead, Fort Drum community members can learn more about the Belvedere Bistro when information is available at http://www.home.army.mil/drum, http://www.facebook.com/drum.10thmountain/, and on the My Army Post App (MAPA).
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2026 16:00 |
| Story ID: | 569577 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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