After the success of WebFood in the Danforth University Center in the fall, the program is extending to the South 40. Initially open only to students in a pilot program, WebFood will be available to all students later in the semester. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

More changes are on the way for South 40 dining as the test run for WebFood begins on the 40 this week.

Food options such as cheeseburgers, hamburgers and other grill items can be ordered from WebFood online and then be ready for pick up at a given location in the South 40 eatery. The program will run from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weeknights.

As the program continues, the original menu, containing a limited number of options, will expand in the same way as the WebFood program on main campus in the Danforth University Center.

According to Nadeem Siddiqui, the resident district manager for Bon Appétit, food items for the starting menu are “simple, easier to make and stay a certain temperature better.”

Then, after receiving feedback and finding out what foods work best, Bon Appétit will replace certain foods and add more menu items.

While only students on the pilot program will be allowed to use WebFood on the South 40 initially, the program will be accessible to all students after a couple of weeks.

Siddiqui explained that the pilot program will allow the staff to make sure the program is functioning smoothly before they open it to everyone.

Students on an advisory committee and their floor-mates were invited to participate in the pilot program to ensure feedback is given.

Siddiqui and Paul Schimmele, assistant to the director of operations in Dining Services, hope that the WebFood program will relieve crowded lines, as they expected with its counterpart program in the DUC.

More than 900 students and staff have signed in to the WebFood program online already.

According to Siddiqui, in the last few weeks of the past semester, almost 50 students ordered WebFood during the noon-1 p.m. lunchtime period in the DUC daily.

Rotisserie chicken was the last menu item added to the program.

Schimmele added that many students did not know that the menu expanded from the very beginning, but as they became aware of the new food items, the number of users and food orders increased.

Bon Appétit anticipates that since many students have already signed up and used the program in the DUC, students will use the program on the South 400 as well.

“Once you use [WebFood], you know it’s simple, it works well,” Siddiqui said.

Another WebFood user explained that even though she uses the program in the DUC, she probably won’t use the new program on the South 40.

“I think the program in the DUC is great,” sophomore Courtney Safir said. “It’s where most people go for lunch every day, so the lines get pretty insane and you could wait over 30 minutes to get your food. As for the program on the 40, I personally won’t use it. I generally eat later when the lines of the 40 aren’t long at all.”

Students are looking forward to the implementation of the new program.

“WebFood has really worked out well in the DUC and I think it’s a good idea for Dining Services to use it in the South 40 House,” freshman Brennan Keiser said. “It is an excellent service and should make students happy.”

Other students noted that they don’t plan to use the service, despite its benefits.

In addition, Siddiqui and Schimmele added that there have not been any serious problems with the WebFood program so far.

“Our approach has been to start small and to keep it very manageable, so we’ve really not had many problems,” Schimmele said.

The few problems they had originally were with the software, but the program has run smoothly in terms of food items and its delivery.

Students say they applaud the University’s new WebFood system. The system, tested this past summer, allows students to order food online and pick it up later at George’s Express, pictured above. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

Washington University’s new WebFood program is off to a good start this year, and there is still room for expansion, according to Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager for Bon Appétit.

WebFood allows students to place food orders online for stations in the Danforth University Center (DUC) any time of the day to pick up later without having to wait in line. Food orders can be picked up between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at George’s Express in the DUC.

“The beauty about this program is you can go at 2 a.m.—and strangely, you’re all up—and order your food for the day,” Siddiqui said.

Interested students can sign up for the program online at wuds.webfood.com to select which food items they would like to eat and when they would like their orders to be ready. Payment can be made by meal plan or campus card account.

One of the main advantages of WebFood is the time it saves, Siddiqui said, because “every minute matters.”

So far, most students seem to think WebFood is a positive addition to campus dining.

“The eating facilities on main campus are swamped from 11 [a.m.] to 2 [p.m.], and one can stand in line for over 20 minutes just to order a hamburger and fries,” sophomore Brennan Keiser said. “Some students’ schedules do not allow them this luxury.”

“I applaud the efforts to make daily lunch routine more efficient for students,” he added.

More than 280 students have already made online WebFood accounts. On Monday alone, more than 20 orders were placed. The number of orders is also increasing with each day, according to Siddiqui.

With additional promotions in the works, the number of students signed up for the program and the daily number of food orders are expected to rise even more in the coming weeks.

Since the summer, Student Union has posted videos promoting WebFood and encouraging students to use the program, though Siddiqui said he thinks the most effective form of advertising will be word of mouth. He said he believes some people are still hesitant to try WebFood because they are concerned about the preparedness or quality of food ordered online.

“I can guarantee you both [the preparedness and quality are] a plus,” he said.

The possibilities for expansion will become reality as soon as the program draws in more people.

“I sincerely hope that this idea catches on so more menu items from different eateries around campus will be available for purchase via WebFood,” Keiser said. “It’s innovative. It’s simple. And it’s convenient.”

Due to its initial success, WebFood has had new food items added to the menu, including sushi, chicken gyro and falafel.

“The people who have used it seem to be really pleased with the service [and] food,” Siddiqui said.

Sophomore Becca Tsevat, who used WebFood for the first time this week, said she found it easy and helpful.

“I didn’t have any troubles with it. Essentially, it saves a lot of time,” Tsevat said. “I’d definitely use it again. They had it prepared for me at the time they said.”

So far, the program has not encountered any major issues. Dining Services tested WebFood in a pilot program earlier this summer to guarantee that any glitches were taken care of before students arrived on campus for the school year.

The only issue at hand is that many students may still be unfamiliar with what WebFood has to offer or how to use it.

To help improve or adjust the program specifically to student needs, Siddiqui is encouraging students to provide feedback about the program through the Dining Services Web site or by speaking to dining staff directly.

The new service, called Webfood, is intended to reduce waiting times and congestion in the Danforth University Center (DUC) for students’ convenience. The program, developed by Bon Appétit administration, Student Union (SU) members and students at large, is the product of efforts from over the last two years.

“If you’re someone that’s frustrated about going to get food and it’s a long line, and you spend most of the time you want to spend with friends waiting in line, you no longer have to do that,” said senior Jeff Nelson, SU president. “Even if you don’t want to use Webfood, you can benefit anyway, because the lines will be shorter.”

Bon Appétit selected the independent service Webfood from several similar options in large part because other U.S. colleges, such as Cornell University, have used the system to positive reviews.

“It integrates very nicely with [the campus card system] we currently have, which lowers the cost that it would take to implement it,” Nelson added.

Another benefit that became apparent as SU was researching Webfood, Nelson noted, is that fewer wrong orders will be thrown away.

“You’d be surprised at how often it happens,” Nelson said. “They’re trying to get through 50 people in the lunch hour, so sometimes they mess up orders, sometimes they forget things, and food is wasted.”

Menu items will be limited at first, though more options will be added over time as students and food service employees become more comfortable with the new system.

The Webfood system limits the number of orders that can be placed at one time. That means an order’s cooking time alone determines how far in advance students have to order their food.

“The item won’t be prepared 15 minutes ahead of time; it’s literally just a few minutes ahead of time,” said Paul Schimmele, assistant to the director of operations in Dining Services.

While Webfood may be advantageous for students, Schimmele said Bon Appétit staff likely won’t benefit from it in any particular way.

“I don’t know if it is any easier for the staff; it’s just a different way to take an order,” Schimmele said. “I don’t think it complicates the job once everybody understands how the system works. There’s going to be changes to the routine a little bit, but I don’t think it affects what they do really.”

Nelson has heard concerns from some that Webfood may eliminate opportunities for students to interact personally with Dining Services staff, but he disagrees.

“If you value standing in line and talking with the workers, developing that relationship, you still can,” he said.

Schimmele and Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager for Bon Appétit, downplayed potential problems with Webfood’s implementation, saying the administration is taking the process slowly to avoid complications.

In addition, incoming freshmen and students taking summer classes on campus will be testing Webfood in a pilot program before August move-in to avoid snags.

“I’m sure there will be timing issues, other sorts of things. We want to make sure all that is tidied up before August when we open it to the larger market,” Siddiqui said.

Basic items from Trattoria Verde and Delicioso’s tacqueria and grill stations, snacks and beverages will be available for pre-purchase on a Web site that has yet to be revealed. Orders can be placed at any time of day, but can be picked up only between 7:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. at George’s Express in the DUC.

Most students have not heard about Webfood and none have had the opportunity to try it, but some are looking forward to trying it.

“If I’m going to have to wait 20 minutes either way, I’d rather have that 20 minutes in my room,” senior Amaka Onwuzurike said.

Despite Webfood’s intended benefits for students, the program may not be gladly received by all.

“I’ve heard some people sort of criticize Webfood and say it’s just a luxury. I think it’s really a necessity,” Nelson said.