One-click dining now available

They wanted to tackle student complaints about long lines and the lack of a delivery service, so USD Dining and Auxilary Services debuted their new WebFood online feature. The service allows students and faculty to make food orders online, which they are able to pick up or have delivered in a timely manner on campus.
Anyone who has visited such locations as La Paloma and the Student Life Pavilion Dining (SLP) understand the flurry of the lunch rush. A yearning for Bacon Turkey Bravo on sliced wheat can take a while to satiate, since many students crowd into the ordering area at the same time. USD hopes to provide a more pleasant dining experience that does not require crowds.
Operating from a company known as the CBORD Group, the system uses cashless card system products that help serve various colleges in and out of the country. Other universities using the system include Vanderbilt University, New York University and Washington State University.
The installation of WebFood began last spring when Dining Services sought a solution to the  large lunch crowds. “La Paloma is one of our most popular dining locations on campus and we hope to be able to remodel and expand one day, but for now we thought Webfood could provide some solutions,” said Loryn Johnson, director of marketing and development for the auxiliary administration. The WebFood system was later expanded to serve more dining areas once the SLP was opened this fall.
“I think it has great potential for the school, it’s just not there yet,” said junior Ryann Berens, who has used WebFood in the past. “It’s limited to where you can use it and where you can order it, and it’s limited to what is available.”
Others have nothing but praise to offer the new system. “I use it all the time to order lunch at [La] Paloma,” freshman Katy Cooper said.
It may take a student a few tries to see how far in advance one must order online so that it may fulfill the program’s promise of a pick up and go option. “I ordered a sandwich online and what I didn’t realize was that you had to order several hours or up to a day in advance,” said Berens.
In reference to any computer glitches Johnson said that “there are technical difficulties on occasion, some of the interfaces behind the scenes of the program have minor issues, just like any new computer program.”
Auxiliary Services is confident that the program will be a helpful tool. They said that more and more students have been signing up. “All in all the program is working well and we plan on adding additional menu items and locations in the future,” said Johnson.
Open 6 to 7 days per week (depending on the location) a student can order food from the Student Life Pavilion or La Paloma. To allow several payment options for students, Dining Dollars and Campus Cash are accepted in addition to credit cards. All one has to do is to set up an account using a Torero Mail e-mail address at usd.webfood.com.