IU Dining is increasing ease and access to on-campus food options through a new collaboration with Grubhub.
Ordering IU Dining food for pick-up through the Grubhub delivery app started Monday. Some of the facilities include the Campus Cafe in the Herman B Wells Library Commons and the Union Street Market C-store.
On the first day of the partnership, Grubhub received 154 orders for pick-up at campus dining facilities as of Monday evening, said Executive Director of IU Dining Rahul Shrivastav.
This will increase efficiency and allow students to avoid lines, Shrivastav said. On the app, students can view wait times across the dining locations.
“Our students are very busy, and the last thing they should worry about is what food to eat and waiting in line,” Shrivastav said. “It'll be much easier to use the technology to ensure they’re getting their food in a timely manner.”
On the Grubhub app, students can browse images of menu items and see whether items match their dietary preferences. On IU Dining’s website, students can view health and nutrition facts for food items.
When individuals submit their orders through the Grubhub app, dining staff can view the orders through printed pages or on a digital screen, Shrivastav said. Grubhub accepts I-BUCKS, CrimsonCard and credit cards.
Sophomore Eliza Hoda has not used the Grubhub app in IU Dining facilities but said she will consider using it in the future. She said she believes the app will improve the process of ordering food for students.
“I believe it’s easier because with the tight schedules we have, it’s easier to order before instead of going through all the trouble to wait in line,” Hoda said.
Sophomore Michelle Castro said ordering through Grubhub is a good option for freshmen because they usually have more meal points. Because she is a sophomore, she doesn’t have many I-BUCKS left, but she said she might be interested in placing an order in the future.
“If I had more I-BUCKS or wanted to spend my personal money on it, I would probably use it,” Castro said.
Castro said the app increases student access to different food options, despite the closing of some Indiana Memorial Union restaurants.
“Especially if students are here at the IMU, trying to find other places on campus to go to might be difficult," Castro said. "When it’s cold, you don’t really want to walk around.”
Delivery options may be offered in the future if Grubhub sees a demand for it, Shrivastav said.He said he and IU Dining management spent over a year planning and evaluating the implementation of the Grubhub app in IU Dining facilities. A full list of IU Dining locations that offer Grubhub ordering is available in the Grubhub app.
“Companies like Starbucks have already trained their client base to order items for pick-up through an app,” Shrivastav said. “This is just IU Dining getting in that zone and working with the clientele to take advantage of technology.”
