GrubHub vs. Sodexo | The Triangle

GrubHub vs. Sodexo

Every college student knows that food is one of the most important things to keep us happy and hitting the books with force, and with finals quickly approaching, our time is more valuable than ever. What students want is a quick and easy way to order food and have it delivered using everyone’s favorite electronic device: the computer. There is no such thing as “too convenient” when it comes to ways for college students to order food.
So, when GrubHub recently announced that it will acquire Campusfood, we got a little excited. Campusfood is already our favorite way to order food online from popular local businesses because it allows us to get a bit more variation into our diet than just Drexel’s on-campus dining options, and it lets us save time by having the food delivered. With the acquisition, students will have even more options of places to order from, and they can use the GrubHub mobile app on iOS and Android to order food while on the go (something that was long overdue for Campusfood). It’s almost worth losing the “Foodie Points” and Coupon Grabs that we had accumulated from Campusfood.
While this is exciting, it’s also an opportunity for Drexel Campus Dining to take a lesson from its newest competitor. While the recently added option to get takeout food from the dining hall and the “Take 3” option at the Northside Dining Terrace are both great, Drexel can easily take it a step further. The popularity of CampusFood and now GrubHub shows that people want food to come to them on their own terms.
Much like how the library stays open 24/7 during the stressful finals period, Campus Dining should consider adding a delivery service during finals as a pilot, with online and mobile ordering to better serve its customers’ needs. Such a convenience would make Drexel’s meal plans and dining dollar plans significantly more appealing. If Campus Dining can do something like this to become more competitive for the business of the entire University community, the University City food scene as a whole will surely improve. Students, faculty and staff would be more open to all on-campus and off-campus food options, so vendors will have more incentive to attract and satisfy customers in all aspects of their service, from price to food quality and everything in between.
We’re fortunate to live in a neighborhood with such a fine selection of quick, convenient food service options. But this is Drexel — we never stop getting bigger and better here. Let’s continue to raise the bar for food service on and around our campus.