Boost offers students a way to order food from their phones. Photo by Evalyn Peacey.

KATIE DEAN | STAFF REPORTER | kldean@butler.edu

Did you forget it was your cohort’s day to go to in-person class and don’t have time to wait in line to get your morning coffee? Good news: Butler students can now order their food or beverage through an app, rather than waiting in line. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Download the app

Butler students can download Boost on any mobile device. Create an account and select Butler University as your location. Starbucks, Plum Market and Butler Brew are the three locations that offer this mobile order option.

Step 2: Set up your payment option

Students can use their credit card or Butler ID with flex dollars and Dawg Bucks on Boost. Click on the account button on the bottom right corner of the app, then choose “manage payment” and add your card to the “wallet” section if you are using a credit card, or “campus cards” section if you wish to use dining dollars. It will then prompt you to add your card, where you can manually enter your credit card number or Student ID number. Boost also gives you the option to take a photo of your card and have it scan your information. 

Step 3: Place your order

Once you decide where you want to eat on campus, click the food or drink item you wish to order. Do you want less ice in your drink or bacon added to your sandwich? Boost allows you to customize your order to your liking, whether it be adding an alternative milk or sweetener to your drink or switching out the bread or meat on your sandwich. Add the items to your basket, confirm your payment method and you are all set.

Step 4: Pick up your order

Using Boost comes with the perk of choosing when you want to pick up your order, so whether you need coffee right after your hour-long chemistry lab or need a pick-me-up snack from Plum Market while studying, you can avoid the line. Each location has a designated spot to pick up mobile orders. Once your pickup time rolls around, grab your order from the pickup station and use those extra minutes that you would have spent waiting in line to enjoy your food or beverage.

What do students think of this new option?

Cammi Crinklaw, a sophomore marketing major who uses the app to order from Starbucks about once a week, enjoys this option for convenience. She finds the app easy to navigate, and aside from some delays in pick up time or an item being out of stock, the process is efficient and easy.

“It makes it more convenient to go get a coffee or snack,” Crinklaw said. “I like that I can just stop by and grab it instead of waiting in the line.”

Anna Kemper, a junior elementary education major, was excited when Plum Market started offering mobile ordering. Kemper said she likes how the layout of the app is straightforward and easy to use.

“I like how the app allows the user to view the whole menu before ordering,” Kemper said,  “The app also makes it convenient to put in [your] credit card information by simply taking a picture of your card.”

Boost has impressed Kemper with its accuracy in order time and efficiency to eliminate waiting times.

“I normally order at least 10 minutes in advance and have never had an issue with my order not being ready on time. The app tells the customer when your order should be ready, which is extremely beneficial,”  Kemper said.

How does the mobile order process work behind the counter?

Baristas and cashiers have also had to adopt a new system that accommodates both in-person and online orders. 

Ella King, a sophomore music major and student worker at Starbucks, is still adjusting to this added form of ordering. King said around 25% of drink orders currently come from Boost.

“Usually, we set a separate timer that will go off when there’s five to 10 minutes left on the mobile orders,” King said. “We try to plan it out so that when the mobile order comes in, there’s a button that you can push to start the order which means that you start making it and that will print out a receipt which we then tape to the cup.”

If an item or beverage is out of stock, the barista will wait until the student arrives and offer to replace it with something else. King said sometimes the app does not always show certain specifications with drinks, such as clarifying whether an iced tea should be sweetened or not, which is another downside to the online ordering system. 

Overall, King has learned to take the kinks with the app day by day and finds students to be patient and understanding when errors happen. More than anything, many students are appreciative that Butler has provided another means to make things slightly more convenient during these times.