The SJU Dining Services team recently launched the “Hawk Hill 2 Go” app, a mobile ordering service that gives students the ability to order from any of the stations in the Campion Food Court.
Colloquially known as “DB,” short for “Declining Balance,” the food court is a popular dining destination on campus, second only to Campion Dining Hall. That means lines can be long.
The mobile app, which launched this summer, is Dining Services’ solution.
DB features three different stations, two of which are on the app: Grille Works offers fresh mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers and other classic American food options, and the Hawk Wrap station allows diners to customize a Hawk Wrap to their liking. Wild Blue, a new addition to DB this year, has fresh sushi but is not on the app.
“All you have to do is download the app, and you can place an order ahead of time and pick it up in the food court,” Kathleen Sinnott ’08, director of Conferences and Auxiliary Operations, wrote in an email to The Hawk. “The app takes credit cards, meal exchanges, dining dollars and Hawk Cash.”
The idea for the app came about in March with the goal for it to go live at the start of this school year. Nick Ventrola, the new resident district manager from Aramark, said he wanted to develop the app to enhance the student experience.
“Having the ability to order ahead and have the meal ready is designed to save our students’ valuable time in their busy schedules and also still be able to enjoy their favorite meals,” Ventrola wrote in an email to The Hawk.
Ventrola added that the app also offers an extra safety precaution in light of the pandemic.
“We want to ensure our students know they are our priority,” Ventrola said. “We want them to remain safe, and of course, we want to make sure they can always get their Hawk Wrap!”
The app was developed by TransACT, a software company that focuses on mobile technology solutions, according to Sinnott. Other area schools, like the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Scranton, use the TransACT app.
Administrative Services, the Office of Information and Technology, and Aramark were involved in implementing the app at St. Joe’s, Sinnott said.
According to Zoë Welsh ’22, an orientation leader and the secretary of Academic Affairs for the University Student Senate (USS), Ventrola gave presentations to both orientation leaders, this past summer, and USS, in September, in an effort to get the word out.
“It really brings the dining experience to the 21st century, especially when we have things like Good Uncle or other online ordering,” Welsh said.Good Uncle, a product of Aramark, is an easily accessible food ordering app that allows you to order fresh meals that are then delivered to you.
As of Sept. 27, the app has been downloaded 369 times. Kasey Abell ’25, a residential student on campus, downloaded it, and she said she likes the convenience it offers.
“When I tried it out, I ordered from my dorm room and then picked it up before class, and it was so easy,” Abell said. “Now I use it probably three times a week because it’s sometimes annoying to go and have to be [in Campion] for like 30 minutes before class.”
To find the app, search ‘Transact Mobile Ordering’ in the app store. Once it is downloaded, users can change the logo to the ‘Hawk Hill 2 Go’ cover.
This story has been updated from the version that appeared in the Sept. 22 issue of The Hawk.
