BY RACHEL GALATIS
Two years after introducing a dining app, Stonehill dining services launched a new mobile app, one that can be used “every day.”
The previous app, “Bite,” became available in 2020 to students during the pandemic because sit-down dining was limited. The app was created so students didn’t have to order in-person.
The new app, “Everyday,” is designed to save time with mobile checkout, allow Hill card payment, and grant rewards after numerous orders. Orders can be placed from only select locations on campus, including the Hill, Roche Dining commons, and Au Bon Pain.
Ryan Doherty, a senior, said that he prefers mobile order on campus because it helps with time management, and he looks forward to using the “Everyday” app throughout the semester.
“I mobile order all the time when I am on campus because I find it much easier, and it allows me to skip any wait times,” Doherty said.
Besides being able to skip wait times, mobile ordering is available for an additional hour after the dining hall closes on Monday through Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This provides a wider window to students who participate in extracurricular activities, especially student-athletes who prefer to have dinner after practice.
Hannah Kemmerer, a junior on the volleyball team, said that it is important as an athlete to “eat well,” but it can be challenging to find time to fit meals in with such a busy schedule.
“The new dining app makes it much easier to grab food when I’m running from class to practice or games,” she said, “It gives me the opportunity to order food late after practice and makes it easy to order ahead and plan my meals beforehand.”
Kathleen Fitzgerald, the general manager of dining services, said Sodexo made the decision to transition to the new app after the company’s licensing deal with “Bite” expired. Technical support was provided on Aug. 24 by representatives from “Dynamify,” the company that designed the Everyday app.
Fitzgerald said the new app provides students with a full ingredients list for each food item and shows the nutritional information to go with it, making it easier for students with allergies to see what they can and cannot eat.
“The app has also paved the way for new dining options and experiences such as birthday cakes, pizza parties, and prepare-in-your-room meal kits,” she said. “Additionally, we can create more order availability in the order queue by streamlining certain operational processes through this app.”
Tom Forde, a freshman on the cross-country team, said that he will be using the app to help accommodate both his peanut/tree-nut allergies and his busy schedule.
“I like the availability of food,” Forde said. “As an athlete, I eat a lot so having different options throughout the day is pretty nice.”
Along with the new app, dining services created a new schedule for hours that each campus dining location is open. Au Bon Pain is now closed on Saturdays, and Gigi’s café now closes at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays, while they were open until 6:00 p.m. last semester.
The “Everyday” app can be downloaded on the app store of mobile devices.
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