Beginning Monday, Oct. 21., Chobani at Hieber Café conducted a brief trial, altering its mobile ordering system. The times listed on the mobile ordering app Boost showed only the current dining period (which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night), preventing students from ordering ahead of time.
According to Alice Ireland, director of Chobani at Hieber Café, the trial was temporary and lasted for two days. While normal hours on Boost have since resumed, the trial was designed to explore more efficient service options amid a surge in demand, as the café processed a record-breaking 21,444 orders in September.
“We are very excited and proud of our demand increases this semester at Chobani,” Ireland said.
The trial reflected significant changes in ordering trends this semester. In past years, roughly 80% of Chobani’s daily orders came through Boost. However, since last spring’s addition of an in-person service counter, demand has evened out — with about 50% of orders now coming from in-person patrons and 50% through Boost.
This influx gave the Chobani team an opportunity to reevaluate and optimize the café’s ordering process to meet students’ needs. Along with high demand, the recent technology upgrades in Colgate’s dining facilities prompted the trial, as the café team was eager to learn how the new systems could enhance service.
“We wanted to learn more about what these systems are capable of and how we can better serve this campus,” Ireland said.
Although there are no immediate plans to make the change permanent, Ireland acknowledged potential benefits, such as lower wait times for students. She pointed out that a more flexible ordering system would give students freedom from having to plan their orders ahead and the ability to order more spontaneously.
“Our team is so pleased with the higher demand this year,” Ireland said. “The update to our menu this year has been a huge success. Our team is very proud and excited about the work they do and so happy that everyone has responded so positively.”
Sophomore Bella Nalli found the trial frustrating as it disrupted her routine, but acknowledged the potential benefits.
“It definitely threw me off because I rely on Boost for scheduling around my classes. The limited ordering was frustrating at first because I plan far in advance. I do see why it might even help manage wait times if they did something like this more regularly,” Nalli said. “But I would like it if they balanced it so that students [that] order ahead a lot still have that option.”
On the other hand, sophomore Leah Crebbin has been pleased with Chobani this year.
“I truly love getting food at the café, and so do many of my friends. Part of what makes it so special is the people that work there — they are always friendly and put on a smile,” Crebbin said. “I would’ve never guessed how many orders they’ve had to process this year. Despite having longer wait times, I’ve noticed that the quality of the food has really improved this year, and the menu has much more variety.”
