College students are all about planning, and a new app from Sodexo, the campus food service provider, allows them to plan their meals without having to step inside the caf at all.
The app, Bite by Sodexo, allows students to view nutritional information, menus, promotions, wellness tracking, and loyalty rewards all in one place.
“Before, we would post the menu on the dining services website and students would have to log on there and click a whole bunch of buttons to get to it,” said Nirali Mickow, director of food service operations. “But now they can download the app and click or tap one button to find the menu.”
If students find an item they would like to know more about, they can tap on the item to view the ingredients and nutritional information about it, Mickow said.
The app launched in Spring 2016 and was adopted this semester by other universities with Sodexo as their food service provider.
These locations include University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, and Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
Bite by Sodexo allows users to mark items as favorites and link to other wellness apps such as a FitBit to track nutrition, in addition to viewing menus and information.
Sarah Cason, psychology senior, said the app makes the caf more convenient for her.
“I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “If there is something in the caf that I really like, then I know and can make plans to go, but if there is something I don’t like, then I know I need to find something else and don’t waste my time going. It could really save some people a trip to the caf.”
Students can view the caf menu for the week, but wont be able to view Alvin’s Cafe’s menu.
“The caf menu changes everyday and is on a five week rotation so that there is always something new and different,” Mickow said. “Since Alvin’s menu does not change, students will not be able to view it on the app but can still see it on the dining website.”
Bite by Sodexo is available on iTunes and Google Play. Once downloaded, students must enter the OCU menu number to be able to view it. The number is 386R2.
Downloading instructions also can be found online.
Mickow said also the app benefits every student on campus, especially those with special dietary needs.
“I encourage every student to download and use the app,” she said. “Especially those with allergies and dietary restrictions because they know what to avoid when they see the ingredients. It is a great tool to use.”
The Bite by Sodexo app currently has a two-star rating on iTunes and Google Play, and reviews are mixed.
Tell us your opinion on Bite by Sodexo by voting in our Twitter poll on @MediaOCU.
Leave a Reply