The Spire

Kate Santini ’27

Staff Writer

As students are resettling into campus life, they should check out and take full advantage of the most recent changes to dining on campus. Over winter break, Holy Cross Dining Services has worked hard to make improvements in ordering at on-campus dining spots including Cool Beans and Crossroads Deli, Grains & Greens. Their objective was to create a system to better facilitate ease in ordering at these campus hotspots.

Whereas previously students may have been subjected to waiting in long lines at Cool Beans, they can now place their order via the GrubHub app or through the two brand new kiosks, which are located next to the high top tables. This means that there has been an official retirement of the old pen and paper ordering system. While in the past students may have been able to make “retail” purchases through the GrubHub app, they are now also given the option to order a “meal swipe” through this platform as well. Alternatively, both meal swipe and retail purchases can be made at the kiosks. The same goes for orders placed at Crossroads Deli, Grains & Greens, where three new kiosks are located. This not only reduces wait times for hungry customers, but is also intended to reduce the stress of those working hard behind the counter. 

Students are also given the option to attach their Holy Cross ID–which must be used in all dining transactions–to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay. At the kiosks, they are further given the option to insert their phone number into the system so that they will be notified about the wait time and completion of their order. This is intended to minimize clutter and confusion at the order-reception counters. Carly Costareigni ‘27 notes that the new system has already had a tremendous impact on “reducing chaos at food places on campus” and on “increasing efficiency.”

In addition to these changes, new meal swipe options have been introduced at Crossroads including a caprese flatbread, a crispy buffalo sub, and a vineyard haven salad. For select items, allergy and gluten free options are available and able to be ordered via the app. Another notable change at Crossroads is that students are now able to order their meals either for “here” or “to go.” This gives students the opportunity to either sit down and stay a while, or quickly grab their meal between classes and extracurricular commitments. Holy Cross Dining Services seeks to support students’ busy schedules while keeping them well-nourished. 

Stay tuned for more changes in dining, and as always, keep an eye out for weekly specials at your favorite on-campus spots. Holy Cross encourages its students to take full advantage of the meal swipes and dining dollars allotted through their meal plans. So the next time lunchtime rolls around, grab a couple of friends and head to your favorite food spot on campus. Happy dining!

Copy Edited by Lily Baumfeld