VandyCart is Vanderbilt Campus Dining’s new mobile grocery ordering program designed to give students a fast, convenient way to buy groceries on campus.

Using the Transact Mobile Ordering app and Vanderbilt’s single sign-on, students can choose from more than 150 products and place an order for pickup at several convenient on-campus locations. Products include fresh produce, frozen food, and common kitchen staples.

Meal swipes, declining balance, and other payment options

The service provides flexibility for students to use their meal plan for items they can use to eat or prepare meals at home.

They can spend up to three meal swipes per transaction. Each swipe is valued at $12. They can also use Commodore Cash, Meal Money, or a debit/credit card. Students are limited to six meal swipes per week through VandyCart.

VandyCart is a great example of how an institution can expand the use of things they already have in place – dining facilities and mobile ordering tech – to add new services for students.

Other common non-food convenience store items are also available, but meal swipes cannot be used for these purchases. In this case, Commodore Cash, Meal Money, and debit/credit cards are accepted.

No delivery option, but multiple pickup times and locations

Orders can be picked up during four specific two-hour time windows each day. The windows are 9-11 am, 1-3 pm, 5-7 pm, and 9-11 pm. Students select their pickup window and must arrive during that timeframe. If they do not, their groceries are removed to make room for the next round of orders.

Pickup is offered at four campus locations, including Vanderbilt’s three Muchie Mart grab-and-go markets and its Rand Dining Center.

VandyCart adds conveniences to Get Well Meals program

VandyCart is also making it easier for students to order a healthy meal when they’re sick and not able to visit their dining hall. Campus Dining’s popular Get Well Meals program is now available via VandyCart on the Transact Mobile Ordering app.

Students can order a nourishing meal that can be picked up by a friend or roommate.

Each Get Well Meal kit is designed with health in mind. Breakfast includes Oatmeal, fruit, Gatorade, and a protein bar. Lunch and Dinner feature Soup (vegan or non-vegan), fruit, Gatorade, and a protein bar.

VandyCart is already seeing an average of 400 orders per week and serving 200 unique users per week.

Orders can be paid for using a meal swipe, Commodore Cash, Meal Money, or debit/credit cards. Orders can be picked up at one of four dining locations.

Capitalizing on existing facilities and tech

VandyCart is a great example of how an institution can expand the use of things they already have in place to add new services for students.
Through creative utilization of existing kitchens for food prep, dining halls for pickup, and c-stores for basic items, the service required no additional facilities. By adding this new feature to the institution’s already deployed Transact Mobile Ordering app, additional tech investment was not required.

Grocery pickup provides a new service to boost the student experience, and it provides added value to the meal plan offering.

Though new, it is already showing promise.

According to an article in the Vanderbilt Hustler, Campus Dining reports that VandyCart is seeing an average of 400 orders per week and serving 200 unique users per week.