UW's The 8 goes cashless after $4,000 disappears

SEATTLE — A University of Washington dining hall is switching to a no-cash system after several thousand dollars disappeared last month, UW's The Daily reported.

UW Housing & Food Services told university police on March 8 that $4,032 was missing from The 8, a collection of eateries located at McMahon Hall. Sometime around March 12, the no-cash policy went into effect. It’s expected to remain that way through the spring quarter.

David Rey of UW Housing told KIRO 7 it isn’t clear where the money went, hence the decision to go cashless. He said research indicated only about 3 percent of transactions were with cash, and that food trucks on campus are also cashless because of security concerns involved with transporting cash across the campus.

“It has been a lot easier; our lines have been moving a lot faster,” Ryan Emmett, a student coordinator at The 8, told The Daily. “Most students don’t use cash anyway; they use a Husky Card. That’s who we mainly serve. It’s also been a lot easier to close.”

UW police wouldn’t comment except to say the case is under investigation.

Rey said UW housing would report the theft to an internal auditor, who will also conduct an investigation.

KIRO