The future of food delivery has arrived at Fordham.
On Tuesday, nine robot delivery vehicles made their debut at the Rose Hill campus, ready to satisfy the cravings of students, faculty, and staff.
The “starships,” as they are known, are accessible through the Grubhub app. They deliver food from five on-campus dining facilities at Rose Hill: Cosi, Urban Kitchen, Dagger John’s, Bronx Bagel Company, and The Grotto. They operate from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and make deliveries to 32 locations on campus, including Walsh Library, all residence halls, and Edwards Parade.
Open to All on Campus
Starships can be used by anyone affiliated with Fordham who is on campus, including faculty and staff. Students who have a Fordham Dining meal plan can use dining dollars, a part of the meal plan that can be used in retail outlets at a dollar-for-dollar value.
The vehicles are overseen by Starship Technologies, under a contract with Fordham Dining Services. They travel at 4 MPH, and are programmed to follow pre-determined routes along sidewalks. They currently operate at 60 campuses around the country.
Maddie Ando, an engineering physics major who is chair of the Fordham United Student Government’s facilities and dining committee, said she’s looking forward to using the program to access nutritious food when she’s busy on campus or studying at the library. That is, when she’s not eating at the newly expanded Marketplace dining facility.
“The dining hall is the most amazing place in the world, but that’s just me. I love the omelet guy,” she said, laughing.
She said the program could provide motivation to get out and do more, such as ordering sandwiches in advance and meeting friends at Edwards Parade.
“I love this, because no matter where I am, I have access to food, and I can hang out with my friends more. I don’t have to plan so much,” she said.
A Student-Maintained Fleet
To keep the fleet moving, Starship has hired four Fordham students as fleet attendants who will perform troubleshooting and repairs for the vehicles, which are housed in a facility behind Jack Coffey Field.
Michele Burris, vice president for student affairs at Fordham, noted that there are similarities to the University’s partnership with Saxbys, a student-run coffee shop that will open at the Lincoln Center campus this semester.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to try different things that will really resonate with students,” she said.
“Being able to order food at different hours of the day and have it meet them as they’re heading to class, to practice, or to an event—it’s just a very innovative and exciting opportunity.”
