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Emory students will no longer need to make the trek down to Emory Village to enjoy their favorite burrito or guacamole from Chipotle. Customers located on or near Emory’s campus will soon be able to receive a customized order from Chipotle at their door simply by using their smartphones.
Through a partnership with Tapingo, an online and mobile food delivery application, Chipotle plans to deliver to 40 college campuses this fall, according to a recent Chipotle Investor Relations press release. Emory University is among the four Georgia schools that Tapingo will service, including Georgia Institute of Technology (Tech), the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. Chipotle plans to deliver through Tapingo to more than 100 campuses by spring 2016.
“As college students make their way back to school for another year, Chipotle Mexican Grill … is making it easier for students to find the food they love, allowing more time for study and less to search for burritos,” the press release states.
Those wishing to order from Chipotle through Tapingo must download the free app onto a mobile device. They will then be prompted to select whether they would like their order to be delivered or ready for pickup, choose the venue and customize their order.
Tapingo will send Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) updates via text to the customer during the delivery process, according to Tapingo Public Relations Manager Leanne Reis.
“The beauty of Tapingo is that it’s a free app in the iTunes App Store and on Google Play,” Reis said. “Anyone can download the app and use it, so if you are located near one of our Chipotle partners, you can be a Tapingo-er — whether or not you’re a student.”
Customers will receive their orders from Tapingo Couriers, a community of students who deliver for Tapingo.
“These [couriers] are students who not only enjoy the added benefit of a job that works around their schedule but are also familiar with the campus,” Reis said.
Tapingo actively recruits current students to be Tapingo Couriers. They must meet Tapingo’s quality standards, submit an application, complete an interview and pass a background check, according to Reis.
Chipotle’s partnership with Tapingo will expand its existing delivery service, which currently consists of partnerships with two additional delivery services, Postmates and OrderUp. Postmates has been delivering for the Chipotle in Emory Village for about three months, according to Emory Village Chipotle manager Jamie Ortes.
However, Emory students can also expect lower delivery prices with Tapingo compared to competitor delivery services, according to Reis.
While Chipotle Customer Service Consultants declined to comment on any financial reasons for partnering with Tapingo, Reis said Tapingo’s delivery fee ranges from $2.99 to $4.99.
Those using the Tapingo Club feature, which includes discounts and exclusive offers, pay only $2.99 for delivery. The cost of a Chipotle burrito delivery through Postmates includes a 9% service fee along with a variable delivery fee.
Multiple Postmates customers have taken to the Internet to complain about Postmates’ long waiting times as well as their high delivery and service fees. An April 23 Business Insider article documented an $8 Chipotle burrito delivered in New York City by Postmates for an additional $20 in delivery and service fees.
Goizueta Business School senior Andre Ainbinder used Postmates to deliver Chipotle in the past and said that their fees are too high for him to use the service again.
“I can mentally get around $3 [in delivery and service fees],” he said. “Once you get near $5, that’s almost another burrito.”
College sophomore Madeline DeShazer said she would be willing to pay a few extra dollars for Chipotle to be delivered to her location.
“I am a huge Chipotle lover, and I go to Chipotle as often as I can,” she said. “However, being busy and living on the opposite side of campus without a car, I don’t go that often. This will benefit me a lot, especially if I’m studying at home, feeling too lazy to walk around campus and still want the delicious satisfaction of my favorite food.”
Instead of making the trip to Emory Village, students can expect to wait an average of 25 minutes between order placement and receipt, according to a Sept. 1 Business Wire article.
Other students, while still excited about Chipotle’s new delivery services, say they might opt to walk to Emory Village anyway.
“Chipotle is a staple in my diet — whether that is a good thing or not — and now that I can have access to it at any time is great,” B-School junior Ben Moore, who is also the business manager of The Emory Wheel, said. “That being said, I never minded the walk down to Chipotle. It didn’t take long, and sometimes when I was working I need[ed] a good hour away to clear my head and rejuvenate myself.”
B-School junior Aaron Levy also said he is looking forward to delivery options from Chipotle; however, he said that existing rules on campus might cause him to forego this new convenience.
“My only concern is that since the library doesn’t allow us to bring Chipotle in, it pretty much means I’m still going to have to take a break from my work to eat,” Levy said. “So I might as well make the walk down to the Village.”
The exact date that Tapingo will be delivering Chipotle has not yet been disclosed. The general managers of Chipotle in both Emory Village and Toco Hills said they have not received information yet regarding Tapingo’s delivery services but expect the word to spread as the service is implemented.
As Tapingo plans to continue its growth, Emory students are among a small group of Chipotle customers that will be able to enjoy a Chipotle delivery.
“Our goal is to provide Tapingo services to all students across the U.S.,” Reis said. “We hope to expand this list to include all campuses.”
