Kiosks, Grubhub come to campus, increase convenience for students
By Charang Bendu, Contributing Writer
Alongside changes to on-campus dining options and a revamp of the meal plan system in its first few months as Towson University’s dining vendor, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality has implemented kiosks and a partnership with Grubhub for mobile ordering to increase convenience.
Richard Coburn, district manager for Aramark’s Mid-Atlantic Region, which includes Towson, gave the rundown.
In particular, he said the kiosks are meant to act like any other similar kiosk that improves store functions and customer experience by offering interactive self-service options for ordering and completing purchases.
Grubhub works hand in hand with Aramark to foster convenience and speedy service for students.
Boost Mobile, the former mobile food ordering app that was just introduced last year, was proprietary to the previous food vendor Chartwells Higher Education. The university ended its 40-year partnership with Chartwells in July, The Towerlight reported.
In addition to Towson, Aramark has implemented these two services to colleges such as the University of Delaware and Temple and West Chester Universities, Coburn said.
But do these intentions follow through? Do the kiosks and Grubhub truly offer convenience and faster service to students? Two Towson Tigers, Cecilia Phillips and Taylor Parker, believe they do.
Phillips, a junior interdisciplinary studies major, said she uses Grubhub during the day, ordering her food ahead on the app and having it ready for her when she leaves one class ensures that she has time to be able to eat and fuel herself before the next.
Parker, a sophomore studying criminal justice, agreed. She said the kiosks have saved her from the long lines that too often take up her time when she would rather just get her food and be on her way. With the interactive kiosks, she can choose her food, pay for it and skip those long lines.
Both the kiosks and Grubhub ordering are up and running on campus. According to Coburn, there are seven kiosks in the Union that are connected to its restaurants. He noted there is a slight delay as they wait for the integration with Chick-fil-A.
