UMarket Arrives on Campus
Snacks to be available in Fontaine, Dyson and Lowell Thomas
With the arrival of UMarket, a pop-up market concept on college campuses, students have a new variety of food and drink options right outside of the classroom.
Marist was selected by Sodexo Dining Services as one of three colleges and universities across the nation to pilot UMarket. Locations will be offered for students in various buildings throughout campus without a retail location. The market will sell a selection of snacks including chips, Cliff bars, Kind bars, assorted candy, and bottled beverages. For student convenience, purchases can be made using cash, credit, debit, Thrifty Cash and Marist Money.
According to Kate Cole, the field marketing specialist for Sodexo, Marist was chosen for this concept because of the dining service’s strong social media presence and the feedback provided by students.
“In our world, Marist Dining Services is looked upon as a place where we can set a good example,” Cole said.
The goal of UMarket is to provide students and faculty with efficiency and variety when it comes to dining options. With limited time and busy schedules, people on college campuses are constantly looking for convenience.
“What we are trying to do is keep up with student trends. Someone might not want to go somewhere for food because it's cold outside, so UMarket takes away that inconvenience,” Cole said. “We get feedback from a lot of people about the lack of dining options in specific buildings like Lowell Thomas, Dyson, and Allied Health. It’s all about convenience.”
The opening date of UMarket on Marist’s campus was Wednesday Nov. 13, 2019 between 1 to 3 p.m. temporality located in Lowell Thomas.
On Thursday Nov. 14 the UMarket was available in the Dyson lobby from 1 to 3 p.m. and on Friday Nov. 15, it was in Fontane Lobby from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If students give positive feedback to Marist Dining Services then the pop-up markets may be more frequent in the future.
One student, Ali Wehrhahn ‘23, likes the concept of the UMarket for her busy days or when she wants something quick to eat or drink.
“Sometimes I just have to go from class to class without a break,” Wehrhahn said. “Being able to get a snack or something to drink in between classes while staying in the same building is a nice option.”
On the other hand, Erin Flynn ‘21, wasn’t sold on the concept of the UMarket because of the time it is offered and the other permanent food options for snacking on campus.
“What's the point of going to get a snack at the UMarket when you could just go to the campus Starbucks or Cabaret and get the same snacks,” Flynn asked. “I think it would be a good idea at night when the cafeteria is closed, or Hancock is closed. It also might be good in a building like Allied Health because they don’t have immediate food options there.”
The UMarket is in the testing stage on campus right now and is not guaranteed to continue if students don’t seem interested in the concept. For students looking to give suggestions or feedback, Marist Dining Services is open to ideas.
“Right now we are only doing the UMarket this week,” Cole said. “If students like it and provide us feedback, that can help it grow.”