Grub2Go, an app that allows students to order food from vendors around campus from a mobile device, is now available for download on android and IOS systems.
The Grub2Go app allows students to place and pay for orders before they get to the restaurant, eliminating wait times. Menus offered through the app are extensive, usually only excluding seasonal items. A typical user experience with the app involves placing the order, choosing a payment method, including Tech meal plans, and then receiving notifications until the item is ready. After its ready, the user can pick up their food at the counter.
Currently, the only vendor offering support for the program is the Student Center location of Dunkin’ Donuts. But this is expected to change in the near future.
“Our goal with this program is really to alleviate the congestion issues that have been building up in the various food locations across campus in the past few years,” said Rich Steele, Senior Director of Auxiliary Services. “The Subway in the student center is the primary target at this time, as it tends to build up very long lines around class changes. We’re really looking to cut down on that with implementation of Grub2Go.”
Another idea is to implement Grub2Go for the Starbucks on the second floor of the Clough building. Unfortunately, Starbucks does not allow mobile app ordering methods, citing quality standards and the fact that it is currently developing an in-house version.
“Starbucks has rules that, if certain types of orders sit unclaimed on the counter for more than a minute, they have to be tossed and remade,” Steele said.
“We did have another idea for a roaming Starbucks cart that could service the entirety of the Clough. The concept would be that you placed an order from your phone including your location in the building, and the cart would deliver your order. This would still allow mobile ordering to be utilized and it would also expand the range of the Starbucks considerably,” said Steele.
The program is the result of a collaboration between the Information Technology Group (ITG) at Tech and the company Sequoia, which creates software solutions, usually for other businesses.
In addition to the mobile application platform, Grub2Go can also be used through its website.