Photo courtesy of the “Everyday” logo by Sodexo.
St. Ambrose University feeds students and staff routinely through the food service company, Sodexo. On March 1st, the company introduced its new ordering system on the app “Everyday” for mobile orders in the Rogalski Center.
With the new addition of the “Everyday” app to the SAU community, the students will still have the option to go inside and order as they do now, rather than order online.
By the fall of 2024, that will change. All orders in the Rogalski Food Court will be moved online.
“A lot of other universities have moved to the “Everyday” app and have found great success. We are hoping it does the same for St. Ambrose,” says CJ Busch, catering manager for Sodexo.
With future renovations, including the Cosgrove Dining Hall and future online ordering in the Beehive, Sodexo hopes to continue updating its services through the app. School officials say the multi-million dollar renovation of Cosgrove Cafeteria will enhance the dining experience for all students and faculty while the app will allow students to order in a timely matter.
“This is a step forward in innovation for Sodexo and is a cool way to integrate technology and the idea of using an app for students. This also helps items and menus be more accessible to students more than ever before,” Busch explains.
The spring of 2025 will also bring exciting news to Starbucks lovers. The Beehive coffee shop will open its doors to virtual ordering too.
A user can click on the grey and lower-case “e” logo to open the app. Any SAU customer has the ability to use a QR code, geo-location, or type “St. Ambrose University” into the search bar, followed by their SAU email to log in. Once into the app, a user can view current and future menu items in the Rogalski Food Court and the Cosgrove Cafeteria.
After logging in, a user can set their dietary preferences and allergy settings.
What do SAU students think of the new additions?
Luke Johnson, a peer-campus minister says he believes it’s an awesome idea for the campus. “I think it is important for students to be able to order ahead of time. Some people could be in a rush and don’t have time to wait in line.”
“They are overcomplicating it to the max,” says Payton Yaddoff, a freshman with a different view of the new addition. “I don’t really like it,” he continues. “There is no reason they [Sodexo] should switch ordering to online to get rid of jobs that college students work to have an income.”
“There’s an app?” Alexis Andersen questions. “I probably won’t ever use it.”
Andersen is one of many students on campus who are unaware of the new feature. Sodexo is not strictly enforcing online ordering until the fall, so students don’t see the rush to change how they order.
The concept for the app stems from the idea of a “virtual restaurant,” also known as a “ghost kitchen.” A ghost kitchen allows a customer to order their food and pick it up with little to no interaction with the workers or operations happening in the back, allowing a simpler way of food service.
CloudKitchens is a website aimed toward food-service entrepreneurs with the goal of starting a business. They explain, “Now more than ever, the cost of running a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant is overwhelmingly high, with skyrocketing overhead costs in an uncertain demand period. Simply put, traditional restaurants just aren’t built for delivery.”
“There have been issues in the past about communicating what will be served to the students in terms of lunch and dinner and we hope to alleviate that issue with the app,” says Busch. “I think with it being a new idea introduced, people are skeptical or nervous about it. It is no different than using DoorDash, the Starbucks App, or any other online ordering app.”
“We are still learning the ropes of it in terms of how to run the backhand side of the app successfully. We want a healthy flow within the ordering process. The worst thing that could happen is making people wait even longer than ordering in person,” says Jesse Lopez, a coffee shop and food court employee.
Although “Everyday” is a brand-new addition to St. Ambrose University and its food services, it sparks the new technological advancements the campus continues to obtain for its students and staff.
See more about the Cosgrove Cafeteria renovation here.
