Seattle University’s ‘Secret’ Menu
When it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would last longer than a few months, Seattle University’s Redhawk Dining team knew they had to do something to support the on-campus population. Students and parents were concerned about the lack of available food options; how could Redhawk Dining provide the same level of service to a much smaller number of students, in a way that could be interesting and feasible for business?
The answer was Boost—and a large dollop of creativity. By leveraging the app’s capabilities, Redhawk Dining was able to offer a delicious and fun solution for everyone on campus to discover and enjoy.
Tactics Used
The game plan for ensuring a successful secret menu launch:
- Establish a secret menu, available exclusively through Boost and only on weekends
- Ensure that the menu is chef-driven for full creative freedom
- Use the Cherry Street Market kitchen with extended hours
- Minimize staffing requirements by fulfilling all orders (from all menus) through Boost only
[The Secret Menu] is a win-win because we’re providing students with lots of new menu options, without having to add additional personnel resources or compromise our social distancing guidelines. Additionally it allowed us to manage our inventory more effectively by tapping into our chef creativity and utilizing existing products that we already had in-house”.
The Redhawk Dining Team
Results
Boost Mobile ordering enabled Redhawk Dining to create a feasible model to provide weekend service to meet the needs of their students. By utilizing their amazing chefs, the school could provide unique and delicious meals, encouraging students to be the first to try the brand new offerings available. This resulted in the Secret Menu being opened up to weekdays to satisfy demand, as well as:
Thanks to popular demand, the Secret Menu is now running 7 days a week
I am extremely appreciative that Chartwells was able to find such a creative solution to deliver enhanced service at such a challenging time. The Secret Menu is a timely innovation that allows students to quickly & safely pick up their meals while providing new options every week. By leveraging technology with convenience Chartwells has resourcefully found a way to meet the needs of our campus community.”
Dion Wade | Client
