Students on Colgate University’s campus often struggle to feel fueled throughout the day, as lengthy class assignments, extracurriculars and long study sessions use up a lot of energy and make it challenging to find time to sit down and enjoy a meal. For these students, Boost, an online food ordering app, may offer a solution. Students can order overnight oats from Chobani at Hieber Café for a grab-and-go in between classes or check out the kiosk at Frank Dining Hall for late-night grilled cheese.
Boost is readily accessible and the mobile app allows students to easily keep track of the time their bites will be ready for pickup and even preorder from Donovan’s Pub or Chobani. Students can simply use their ’Gate Cards to order entrées during designated meal swipe periods and they can choose to either eat there or take their items to go. The app’s flexibility is what attests to its convenience for so many students
Junior Justin Radel, a current Boost dining intern, offered his views on student engagement with the app and his personal takes as a Colgate University student.
“The most rewarding part of the internship is being able to talk to other students across the country who are in the same position as me and brainstorm ways we can collaborate or potential initiatives we can undertake as a group for the greater good of the app. It’s cool my on-campus job is more than just being part of the school and it’s fun communicating with fellow interns,” Radel said.
Radel shared how plenty of students visit Frank Dining Hall throughout the day, so it’s crucial to keep the app orderly and functioning to ensure efficiency.
“I attend webinars for Boost, and we all talk about ways to improve the app and its engagement. Our ultimate goal is to increase revenue through the app, and promote Boost by making sure everyone has it installed,” Radel said.
For those heading over to the library to log in a few hours of work, think of your next perfect study break: setting aside a few minutes to pick up your bites and catch up with friends at the fifth floor Chobani café at Case-Geyer. It’s quick and simple to customize your order through the app, especially for students who must adhere to dietary restrictions. With this in mind, the app makes it easier and less stressful for students’ orders to be prepared and processed by dining hall staff.
For a behind the scenes view, Radel shared how student activity through the Boost app is statistically analyzed.
“It’s cool to take an analytical approach, and leverage data by comparing it to other schools. We also talk to people about what they have done with translating social media to increase overall sales,” Radel said.“The behind the scenes is really cool, and it makes you appreciate the dining hall staff. Boost’s impact is realistically felt by every student.”
Time management is one of the most crucial concepts of life for college-aged students. Prioritizing time for meals can give students the energy they need to be productive on busy days; Boost helps make this easy at Colgate.
