Upon arrival onto campus, finding food will have to be at the top of your already long list of concerns. Grocery shopping will be difficult, considering you’ll have to be quarantined for 14 days, and although there are grocery delivery services out there, sometimes ordering a Portillo’s hot dog and putting on a movie is what you want. Take into consideration some of these tips on ordering takeout on campus. 

The food delivery service game has long been butting heads for customer supremacy, and oftentimes it can be overwhelming to choose which service to use. For starters, there are different delivery fee rates and restaurants that are available depending on the service.

For students who are interested in Asian cuisine, Chowbus is a fantastic option to sift through the campus’s Asian restaurants. Chowbus is a forward thinking food delivery service that allows users to order from multiple restaurants at one time without paying multiple delivery fees. This means that you can put in an order from places like Jip Bap and another at Poke Lab and pay for it all at once. Delivery fees on Chowbus usually range from $3-4, depending on how far the restaurant is from your location. 

Moreover, it helps cater to the Chinese students on campus as the app shows menu items in both English and Chinese. Chowbus is also run by former University alum, Allan Chow, who worked as VP of operations and is now VP of engineering. 

The service also has a promotions and free delivery tab on its app so users can take advantage of cheaper delivery options. The service also gives users the option to join Chowbus Plus, where users get unlimited free deliveries for order over $15, discounts on pickup orders up to 10% off and exclusive restaurant discounts for $9.99 a month, as well as a 30-day free trial option, which is a perfect especially if you are being quarantined for 14 days. Chowbus also offers a rewards program outside of Chowbus Plus where non-Chowbus Plus customers can earn points and redeem them for free food at restaurants. Chowbus also has a grocery feature on its app, allowing customers to purchase Asian groceries and products through local Asian marketplaces. 

Postmates is another viable option for food delivery on campus mainly because of the amount of special discounts and offers that are available daily. Postmates has been trying to ramp up delivery sales by offering promo codes that allow customers to get their delivery fees waived if they spend over a certain dollar amount, usually around $15. Delivery fees for Postmates are mostly set at $3.99. Postmates, like its competitors such as Uber Eats, Doordash and Grubhub, serve a more diverse catalog of foods ranging from breakfast to Mexican food. However, delivery services like Uber Eats, Doordash and Grubhub have more varying delivery fees so keeping an eye on the delivery fee will be key if you’re eating on a budget. 

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