Auxiliary Services is increasing the variety of dining options at the University of Georgia and enhancing convenience for customers by expanding franchise partnerships and introducing new technology in multiple locations across campus.
New retail dining options
Blenz Bowls, a purveyor of delicious smoothie bowls and drinks, is coming to The Creamery, an iconic location on D.W. Brooks Mall in the Environmental Health Science Building. Students, faculty and staff on South Campus will be able to enjoy a nutritious
pick-me-up from Blenz Bowls throughout the day.
Dunkin’ and Newk’s Eatery are opening in the Rothenberger Café in Amos Hall, part of the Terry College’s Business Learning Community. Newk’s Eatery has become well known for its salads, sandwiches and wraps at its Baxter Street location, and Dunkin’ is famous worldwide for its coffee, donuts and more.
Your Pie, a build-your-own pizza company founded by UGA alumnus Drew French, is opening a new location in Bulldog Café at the Tate Student Center. Your Pie will occupy the former location of Niche Pizza Co. and will use a hearth oven to create personal-sized, custom pizzas for guests.
Also at Bulldog Café, Chick-fil-A has expanded its offerings, transitioning from an express location to a full-menu store. Chick-fil-A has partnered with UGA at this location for more than two decades, becoming a Tate Center staple.
Dunkin’, Newk’s Eatery, Your Pie and Chick-fil-A will use their proprietary apps for mobile ordering at their UGA locations. Chick-fil-A also will use the Transact app for students who want to pay with Paw Points, as will Blenz Bowls.
AiFi market at Tate
Building on the success of the autonomous market at Russell Hall, Dining Services has converted the Market at Tate to a checkout-free location as well.
Both markets incorporate AiFi (rhymes with WiFi) technology that uses a camera-based spatial intelligence system to allow customers to use their credit card or Paw Points to buy what they want without checking out at a cashier.
A request from UGA’s Student Government Association (SGA) to extend the operating hours of the Market at Tate inspired the conversion.
“SGA is incredibly grateful for Auxiliary’s continued commitment to responding to student concerns, especially around a topic as sensitive as food availability,” said SGA President John Neely. “We initially reached out about the Tate market’s limited hours, which closed before many student organization meetings wrapped up. While our goal was to extend the closing time, Auxiliary went above and beyond.”
“With AiFi, the Market at Tate provides a secure, convenient way for students and others to buy meals and snacks whenever the Tate Center is open,” said Dining Services Executive Director Steven Olesen.
Neely added, “AiFi is a smart, tech-driven fix to a real student need, indicative of UGA’s campus-wide embrace of leading-edge technology. On behalf of SGA, we are thrilled to have such a student-focused partner as Auxiliary Services.”
Coke & Go payment system
Vending Services has added a new dispensing option for beverages, known as Coke & Go, that uses similar technology to the AiFi markets. The Coke & Go system allows customers to scan their payment and help themselves to any items in the coolers. Cameras track the items removed and charge the customer appropriately.
Coke & Go accepts the same electronic payments as other vending machines on campus, including Paw Points. With no moving parts to jam or fail, Coke & Go coolers are more reliable than traditional vending machines, and they offer more variety because they can accept any size or shape container.
Coke & Go coolers are currently in seven locations around campus, including the Tate Center, Miller Learning Center, and Ramsey Student Center, and will soon come to the Boyd Graduate Research Center.
MorphoWave™ entry system
Dining Services is replacing the iris cameras at dining commons entrances with faster MorphoWave™ technology. MorphoWave™ is a contactless biometric reader that lets users wave their hand over a scanner for entry. It creates a unique set of points based on fingerprints, which are then turned into an encrypted code stored as a secure biometric template. MorphoWave™ can also scan printed QR codes for visitors.
Up to 60 individuals can enter the dining commons per minute using MorphoWave™. The same new technology will be used for entry at the Ramsey Center and the UGA Card Office.