Tapingo, a mobile based ordering software application for college campuses, is finally available for CSUN students.
The idea behind the application is to decrease congestion during rushes at on campus restaurants and provide a service for students who are on-the-go, said Susan Dickman, programs and marketing manager of the The University Corporation.
Tapingo is currently linked to 13 establishments on campus, including five Freudian Sips, El Pollo Loco, Subway and the Marketplace at Sierra Center.
Students are required to register an account on tapingo.com or on the app, but credit information is not required. An estimated wait time for each establishment is provided on the app.
Tapingo is currently available on 30 college campuses across the nation such as University of Southern California (USC), New York University (NYU), and the University of Arizona (UA).
Tapingo had launched before the beginning of the fall semester during the summer session. However, some students weren’t aware of the app’s existence.
“I wasn’t aware that such apps existed but I will most likely download it now,” Karla Sandoval, freshmen, said.
Although many students are unfamiliar with the app, some have used Tapingo to skip long lines in between classes at the Freudian Sip.
“I was able to grab a coffee and a pastry during my fifteen-minute break between classes,” Jesse Rodriguez, junior, said. “I was able to avoid the lines.”
However, Rodriguez said he hasn’t ordered food yet.
“I’m not sure how it will translate to that as far as wait time,” Rodriguez said.
The establishments around campus are gearing up for Tapingo. Signs have been placed near cash registers and employees at locations that are participating in Tapingo.
Employees have also been advised to keep track of all the Tapingo orders that are coming in.
Keanna Dunn, an employee at the Marketplace, said Tapingo orders have priority, “We are told to work on Tapingo orders as soon as they come in.”
Each order is brought up to the register with the name of the recipient. The Tapingo customer is expected to walk up to the Tapingo pick-up location and pay for their food if they haven’t done so.
Plans on increasing awareness for this app have yet to go in full force.
All the small kinks and details on the app are being updated and more establishments like Burger King are expected to be integrated into the system, according to Dickman.
Once all those things get worked out, Dickman expects the marketing for Tapingo to skyrocket.
Further information about Tapingo is expected to be available at the Associated Students Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. Tapingo is available on both the App Store and Google Play.
