Food service and facilities management provider, Aramark, has acquired the privately-held Good Uncle -- an app-based, on-demand food delivery service. The deal will see Good Uncle's "freshly prepared, restaurant quality meals" delivered to popular pick-up points around college campuses.
The addition of this concierge service to the Aramark portfolio illustrates a need to meet students at expectations with technology driven food-service solutions.
“As consumer dining habits evolve, we’re continually looking for new ways to disrupt the marketplace with innovative services,” says Eric Foss, Aramark’s Chairman, President and CEO. “Good Uncle strengthens our ability to offer quality and convenience through services that allow our college consumers to order restaurant-quality food and have it delivered when and where they want it on campus.”
Launched in 2016, Good Uncle utilizes centralized production and a fleet of specially equipped vehicles to deliver its meals to the most popular spots on and off campus. The service's culinary team is led by a Michelin-rated chef, and offers a diverse menu of both healthy and indulgent items that rotates periodically to ensure the the experience remains enticing to users.
Good Uncle also leverages a proprietary mobile app and drop-point model that's reminiscent of other on-demand services and ride share apps. But rather than delivering directly to each individual user, Good Uncle leverages designated pick up locations to batch deliver multiple customer orders simultaneously. This formula, the company insists, results in greater efficiency than traditional delivery options.
Following the acquisition, Good Uncle will continue to operate independently and will maintain its unique brand identity.
Aramark has an established focus on its on-demand and mobile ordering presence on college campuses. In 2015, Aramark established a strategic partnership with mobile ordering and commerce provider, Tapingo, as part of an agreement that saw the pair offer services to 25 Aramark campus clients.