Mitch SorensenDashing between classes can be hard enough without the added stress of trying to get food in-between breaks.
Allowing users to pre-order their food from selected outlets on campus, Hangry, a new app at the University of Alberta lets students pay for the convenience of skipping the line at the cafeteria. Currently available at Engrained in ECHA and the EuroMarket in the Education building, Hangry allows users to pre-order and pre-pay for their meals.
For this skip-the-line service, Hangry charges a 10 per cent convenience charge per order, which is capped at five dollars.
Though they are currently only accepting credit cards as methods of payment, Lindsay Aubin, Manager of Hangry Western Canada, said the app will be able to access oneCARD funds in the next two weeks. By their hard launch date in September 2016, Interac will be a payment option.
A loyalty points system is also in effect, where users can rate food, providers and experiences to earn credits towards orders. Amounting to “about five to six per cent” return to the user in rewards, Aubin said Hangry “really wants to get student loyalty and love.”
Founded by Fabian Raso and Mark Scattolon, the company was given a boost after a successful pitch on the CBC television program Dragon’s Den. With Dragons Michele Romanow, Michael Wekerle, and Joe Mimran splitting a $120,000 bid for 20 per cent of the business. Aubin said the idea to push into campuses came from Romanow.
“Originally, Hangry was in the restaurant space,” Aubin said, “But with apps like Just Eat, there is a lot of saturation. We found that there was nothing comparable for students on campus.
Though the app is meant to be a student service first, Aubin pointed to several benefits for back-of-house staff. With large lineups at lunch and between classes, Aubin said she hopes Hangry help mitigate some of those issues for food providers.
“The app allows the back of house to have better visibility, so they can cater to more students during the rushes and eliminate lineups,” Aubin said.
The app has been operating at the U of A for two weeks, with 275 students signed up at the time of this writing.
In terms of the future of the service on campus, Aubin said Hangry has been gaining interest from providers in SUB and HUB. With a “successful pilot” at Engrained and Euro Market, she said interest could increase, as “students want more options.”
With Hangry currently piloting at the University of Toronto, with a division opening up at McMaster University (Raso and Scattolon’s alma mater) as well, Aubin said Hangry is focused on complete coverage of the Canadian college landscape before possibly expanding internationally.
When it comes to advice for students starting companies of their own, Aubin had a simple message for young entrepreneurs.
“Patience really is a virtue, and focus on quality,” she said. “At the end of the day, that is what will put you ahead of the crowd.”
