Cornell Dining launched a new mobile-friendly web application called “Cornell Dining Now,” which provides real-time information about Cornell’s on-campus eateries, at the end of last month.
The application, which Gary Marcoccia, marketing and communications manager of University campus life, said has been been in the works since “roughly July,” will give users easier access to the 29 on-campus eateries through functions that include clear displays of hours of operation, meal plans management and updated menus.
In addition, Cornell Dining Now can also calculate the closest dining options based off of a user’s current location, send alerts for special promotions, add funds to meal plans and allow users to submit feedback to the dining staff, according to a Cornell Dining press release.
“Cornell Dining Now is not only a good resource for finding out menus and times, but we can also post notifications globally,” Marcoccia said. “We post about things from special events themed for dining units, such as the celebration of Diwali, to hiring notices at the different establishments.”
Since its release, over 10,000 users have accessed Cornell Dining Now, and the application currently averages anywhere from 900 to 1,200 active users a day, according to Marcoccia. Cornell Dining has mostly received positive feedback, Marcoccia added, although he said there is always room for improvement.
“Our primary objective was to bring about a better dining experience all around, and that starts with providing ease of access to menus and dining options on campus,” said Gail Finan, director of Cornell Dining, in the release. “Cornell Dining Now is intuitive, easy to use and it helps us continue raising the bar for dining services.”
While Cornell Dining Now was designed to be mobile-friendly, Marcoccia said that it is fully responsive on any device. Users can access the application through the Cornell Dining website or by bookmarking it on their device’s home page.