When students arrived back on campus at the end of August, there was one change that became evident immediately; the once bright orange and yellow signs that indicated Tapingo pick-up spots at every food service location on campus had turned deep red, and were instead advertising for Grubhub.
The change in service occurred over the summer, with the full turnover being complete by the time the fall semester kicked off. For avid Tapingo fans and users, however, there’s not much to worry about; it’s still the same service you’re used to receiving, just under a new brand.
“Grubhub just bought Seamless, so we were basically faced with either completely getting rid of the system and trying another, or just accepting Grubhub as the main system,” said Executive Director of Campus Auxiliary Services at SUNY New Paltz Steven Deutsch. “And the thing is, for college campuses, there isn’t a lot of competition.”
In September of last year, Grubhub announced its acquisition of Tapingo via a press release. Tapingo, which was founded in 2012, serves over 150 college campuses in the United States and was bought by Grubhub for nearly $150 million.
While the aesthetics of the two companies may differ, the process of ordering food and drinks at eateries around campus is exactly the same, the key difference being the fact that orders must be placed via the Grubhub app.
Grubhub also offers students the ability to place orders at various local restaurants around town and have them delivered directly to the students’ house or residence hall. Currently, four locations are vendors on the app; Pasquale’s, Rino’s Pizza, Gourmet Pizza and La Bella Pizza Bistro.
On the staff’s end, the changes remain miniscule as well. Deutsch called the transition “seamless,” confirming that the process of receiving an order, preparing it and putting it on the Grubhub pick-up shelf remains the same.
Still, Deutsch is aware that change is always possible.
“Coming down the pipe you never know,” Deutsch said. “There could be changes once the company gets comfortable, but for right now the process is the same.”
Currently, every retail location on campus that serves food offers the option to use Grubhub to place your order. Along with these, Starbucks and NPressed are also available.
The app allows students to order food ahead using their meal plan and receive a notification when it’s ready, as opposed to waiting in line.
