What student doesn’t know the pain of waiting in line for food during lunch rush on campus? The average student has less than an hour to get food and eat between classes. The majority of that time can be spent waiting in line.
Three weeks ago, Cardinal Card Services and Sodexo teamed up to launch a service that would change the way students order food on campus, alleviating the lunchtime pain.
Tapingo (pronounced Tah-Ping-OH) is a new service implemented at U of L that allows students to order and pay for their meal in app, then pick up their food in the restaurant. Campus restaurants that currently accept Tapingo include McAlister’s, CBC, SubHub, Zime and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Students open the app, select their food from the menu and pay using their Cardinal Card or credit card. They will then receive a text alert to notify them that their food is ready.
“We understand students have limited time to eat between classes, now you can use that time more efficiently,” said Robin Stewart, assistant director of Card Services. “You need to eat. We are just trying to make the experience better so that you can move on to enjoying your day.”
Another feature of Tapingo is its integration with the food trucks on campus. Sodexo’s partnership with local food trucks offers students new and exciting food choices on campus twice a week. To purchase food from the trucks using their Cardinal Cash or flex points, students must utilize the Tapingo app. If the food trucks are successful, they will be on campus until Thanksgiving break and will resume after spring break each year.
Students can also use meal swipes on Tapingo at participating restaurants including CBC, Zime and SubHub.
Judson Adams recently downloaded and registered the app. “It is super quick to set up. You just download the app, set up an account, select the University of Louisville, connect your Cardinal Card and then you’re ready to start ordering.”
As the service grows, Sodexo will consider adding additional restaurants to the service.
“Tapingo has cut out all of the time I waste standing in line,” Davis said. “I can order my food when I’m leaving class, and it will be ready by the time I get to the restaurant. The app is genius. It makes eating on campus more appealing.”
The free Tapingo app is available for download the Apple Store and Google Play.
