Mason Galemore
Contributing Writer
mgalemore@murraystate.edu
To save time and help social distancing, Murray State has partnered with the popular app Grubhub, joining 300,000 other dining services and restaurants in partnership with the app.
General Dining Staff Manager Jim Halcombe is in charge of the Grubhub-Murray partnership.
“Racer Dining wanted to bring a mobile ordering solution to campus for the convenience of our guests,” Halcombe said. “Particularly in the current COVID-19 climate, we felt it was important to provide an option that would allow for touchless payment while minimizing contact and improving speed of service.”
Grubhub was the only available platform approved by Chick-fil-A, so that is what Racer Dining chose for its retail locations.
“We worked with our University partners as well as Grubhub to plan the implementation process,” Halcombe said. “We determined which locations we wanted to feature on Grubhub.”
Once that was decided, Halcombe and his staff sent in menus and hours of operation for each location, installed hardware, integrated the Grubhub ordering platform with the RacerCard system and tested transactions.
They first launched Grubhub at Chick-fil-A, which was followed by Einstein Bros Bagels, Starbucks, Steak ‘n Shake, Tres Habaneros and Subconnection.
To use the app, you must follow a few simple steps. First, download the app. Then, set up an account and link it to your RacerCard. Select the location you would like to order from, put your meal in the cart and checkout. Finally, go to the store to pick up your meal.
For Chick-fil-A, students can check in when they arrive; for the other locations, no check in is necessary. In the meantime, Grubhub sends that order to the kitchen of whichever restaurant was selected and the staff fill the order.
Many students believe this new addition is convenient and user friendly.
“I use Grubhub frequently,” said freshman Hayden Terry. “It allows me to get my food faster and more efficiently, especially when I am in a rush.”
There were few students who had anything bad to say about the app. Most of them praised the app’s versatility and user friendliness.
“I use Grubhub everytime I eat at Chick-il-A,” said sophomore Meagan Pratt. “The app seems flawless and I never have any problems when using it.”
Halcombe is optimistic about the new dining apps.
“The feedback for Grubhub has been mostly positive, from students as well as faculty and staff,” Halcombe said. “We are thrilled that many students, faculty and staff are currently using the Grubhub app, and we hope to grow that number in the future.”
The dining staff will be running promotions in the next few weeks offering discounts to those utilizing the app; students can stay tuned to their social media outlets @RacerDining for updates.