The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
HELPING STUDENTS
New food-delivery project in Hamilton aims to support students during pandemic
HAMILTON, N.Y. » It might seem like a difficult task for local establishments to serve Colgate students during a pandemic, but heads are coming together to develop innovative ways to do business during COVID-19.
As Colgate students are preparing to move-in at the end of August, the surrounding area is anticipating a big boost in activity. This would usually be a much-welcomed event for businesses, except during a pandemic, a swarm of incoming families and students in a small town is a lot to manage.
If the trepidation of a foreign student-body entering the community during a pandemic wasn’t enough of a hurdle to jump, students who arrive must also quarantine for
“We are trying to make sure we connect as closely as we can with the business community.”
— Joanne Borfitz, associate vice president for community affairs and auxiliary services at Colgate
14 days, cooped up in their dorms and houses. To keep things equal, Colgate decided that every incoming student, living both on and off-campus, must quarantine, not just those from one of NY’S listed travel-advisory states, officials said.
The potential saving grace for businesses hoping to serve students on lock-down? A third party delivery service.
The Hamilton Partnership for Community Development
(PCD) recently hosted a Zoom meeting with local businesses to discuss a new venture coordinated in part by the Colgate Thought Into Action (TIA) Incubator, which is an Entrepreneurial program run by students.
“We are trying to make sure we connect as closely as we can with the business community,” said Joanne Borfitz, associate vice president for community affairs and auxiliary services at Colgate. “Delivery is going to be very important for our students.”
The drop-off service will provide the much-needed coordination and manpower for large-scale delivery that has often been lacking in the village, while also promoting public safety and supporting local businesses.
Mary Galvez, Incubator director for the PCD, explained that the service will be similar to popular models such as Grubhub or Uber Eats. However, “This is not the model we want to replicate,” PCD Executive Director Jennifer Lutter said. “Nobody wants to take a percentage off the top and cut into the businesses profits.”
Lutter emphasized that the service will be as cheap as possible; Businesses and students can first enjoy a free trial period, and then later a modest subscription and delivery fee.
The idea of expanding food-delivery capabilities in Hamilton is not new. Galvez said students who participate in the Incubator had already been toying with the venture for some time. When the pandemic hit and demand for delivery skyrocketed, Colgate pushed for an outlet to be ready as soon as the first freshmen students arrive on campus on August 23, and so the PCD got involved to help get this project off the ground.
Galzev explained that initially, students will be able to order delivery ahead of time from pre-selected restaurants that have chosen to participate. A website will funnel patrons into a one-stop-shop showcasing the restaurants and their available menus for ordering. Meals will be delivered twice a day, for lunch and dinner, and only contactless delivery will be allowed. The service will be run by TIA student interns.
Parents are being kept in the loop too, Galvez said, so that special treats can be gifted to students. Parents will likely want to keep students’ spirits high, Borfitz commented, especially during the two week quarantine period.
The service will be completely voluntary and will help complement the food services already provided to students by the university. Many will get tired of the dining hall food fast, and having an easy option for outside delivery is a nobrainer, Borfitz added.
Colgate is providing students three meals a day from their dining halls that will be delivered by employees to students on-campus during the isolation period. Mail and other packages will also be delivered for this two-week time frame. Students living in private off-campus housing will not get dining hall food delivered.
The goal is to ultimately expand the food-delivery service to the whole Hamilton community, Galvez said. But for now, during it’s first few weeks, the venture will only be available to students.
Many businesses have done their own innovating and have begun to offer delivery services of their own. The Hamilton Business Alliance has collected a list of local establishments that offer room supplies, care packages, grocery items, cooked meals, gifts, and more in some form of online-ordering capacity. Many businesses have also adapted to offer curbside pickup.
What’s more, is that students can even have dorm supplies and non-perishable items pre-delivered to their dorm room before they arrive. Parry’s, a general/grocery store in Hamilton, just announced August 11 a preorder project that may keep students and families from congesting the stores on busy move-in weekend — something everyone involved can appreciate. Offcampus students can get arrival-day delivery.
The ability for customers to purchase online gift cards is an additional avenue of e-business that many are offering. Some officials believe this option will be paramount to getting a piece of the competition.
“I don’t think I can say enough how important it is for you to have an attractive online presence,” Lutter commented. The PCD is available to help guide local businesses in ampingup their e-commerce game, if need be.
Along with the recent delivery-initiative from the PCD, a community campaign dubbed Stay Safe Stay Local will begin going into effect around the village. Business owners can take a safety pledge and receive signage to post at their establishments letting residents know that they are committed to protecting both customers and employees from COVID-19 by adhering to safety guidelines.
Additional signage, banners, and graphics will be posted around town to create an atmosphere of safety and help support COVID-19 preventative culture.
“People are taking this seriously,” Galvez remarked. “We’re all in this together.”