Founder Michael Saunders initiated the development of campusfood.com in 1997 during his junior year at Penn. Alongside classmates, Saunders successfully introduced the site in 1998. Post-graduation, he focused on expanding the company’s customer base by extending its reach to other universities and attracting students. Additionally, Saunders accumulated a directory of restaurants to facilitate food delivery for students. Presently, certain tasks related to these endeavors are outsourced to a marketing firm, which has facilitated the incorporation of numerous schools across the nation.
In 004, 200 schools were served by the company, which were connected to over 1 ,OOO restaurants. The site was financed through private investors, friends, and family members, and it was built with an investment of less than $1 million. (In comparison, another company that also targets the college-student market invested $1 00 million.) Campusfood.com generates revenue through transaction fees, where the site takes a 5-percent commission on every order from the sellers (the restaurants). When you visit Campusfood.com, you have the option to browse an interactive menu.
The company converts a restaurant’s standard print menu into an electronic menu that includes all toppings, specials, drinks, and current prices. Customers can place online orders to avoid busy phone signals and minimize miscommunications. Additionally, they can access special foods, promotions, and restaurant giveaways. The company is also working on setting up exclusive meal deals for Campusfood.com customers. Furthermore, electronic payment options for orders are available.
The website enables users to explore a directory of local restaurants, providing information like operating hours, addresses, phone numbers, and other related details. Moreover, the business’s success has been influenced by outsourcing marketing activities. Campusfood.com collaborated with Titan Poker to give university students the chance to engage in exclusive online poker tournaments. Winners of these tournaments received Campusfood Cash coupons valued at $20,000 that could be redeemed for placing food orders at participating restaurants.
