Grubhub pick-up service will soon be available at Ghost Kitchen
In the upcoming weeks, Pennwest Edinboro is going to be making big changes to some of its on-campus dining options. The Ghost Kitchen, previously called Celtic Foodcourt, is going to be implementing something new: Student Grubhub, an app where students can order food from the Ghost Kitchen for pick-up on-campus.
Grubhub boasts on its website that its student version cuts back on the wait time in long lines for food on-campus, allow students to use their meal plans, and even offers promo codes, giveaways and rewards for your campus. All students must do is download the app, connect to their campus dining, verify they are a student, and then start ordering.
Food orders can then be placed through the app the same way that you would order a normal delivery. Students will be notified when their food is ready, and then simply need to pick up the order from the selected dining option.
Kaleb Lewis, a junior computer science major on Pennwest Edinboro’s campus, said that he is optimistic about the Grubhub system being implemented at the Ghost Kitchen.
“I find it a lot more convenient to put in an order and go and pick it up on my way to class,” said Lewis. “If they can get the Grubhub system working, and people actually submit their orders before they get to the building, I'm sure that people will have to wait less time on average after the first week or so.”
Lewis said that on average, the wait for food at the Ghost Kitchen ranges from 10 to 15 minutes for a burger, and closer to seven or eight minutes for a burrito. Despite this estimate, wait times can fluctuate greatly especially around the lunch or dinner rushes, making Grubhub a decent way to avoid the lines and get your food quickly.
Other students like Braden McCormick, a junior animation major, said that the Student Grubhub will be very convenient for students who have late night classes that prevent them from going to Van Houten Dining Hall before it closes, provided that the app works as intended. Students who only have a limited amount of time between classes would benefit from this system as well, as they could place an order and simply pick it up instead of waiting in line and potentially being late to their class.
While most students seem to be optimistic about Student Grubhub and the changes that it is going to have to the Ghost Kitchen, there are still some concerns that are arising from students regarding the new system.
Lewis expressed a worry about how the food will be kept warm during the time between the order being completed and the student picking the order up.
“I live across campus, so it takes me a decent amount of time to walk to Pogue,” said Lewis. “I know I would put my order in before I leave so I don't forget.”
Campus sous chef Christopher Smith, 29, said after being questioned about concerns of food being cold that the Ghost Kitchen will be implementing its heating lamps to ensure that food remains warm. Smith also says that possible theft of orders will not be an issue, as the Ghost Kitchen intends to implement a locker system to keep orders safe.
Automation in places is often a divisive issue among people, with some arguing that it is taking away job, while others believe it increases productivity and takes stress off human workers. Smith said that he believes in this instance, automation of the Ghost Kitchen is a good thing.
“It frees employees up to complete other tasks and really streamlines the process and can, in some cases, increase accuracy in orders since it's coming directly from the customer,” Smith said.
When asked if students are planning on using the new Grubhub system once it is fully implemented in the future, there was a split on opinions between Kaleb Lewis and Braden McCormick. Lewis said that he plans to use it when they get the system running so he doesn’t have to spend time waiting on his food. McCormick however said that he really does not want to use the system, claiming the change to Grubhub was not communicated to the students nor anticipated.
Smith said that he believes that once students understand the benefits of Grubhub and use it a couple of times themselves, they will begin to use it on a much larger scale.
Ultimately, though, the success of Student Grubhub depends on the students and their response to such a large change to the dining system and experience.
Smith said that he is unsure of when Grubhub will be fully in effect, but the current goal is to have it launched and integrated into the system in the coming weeks.