A New Semester Investigation: Is Good Uncle Still Really That Good?

With the new school year well underway, students are eager to find new places to get quick and easy meals. Last year, Good Uncle did just that. You would simply choose what you wanted from the menu and it would be delivered to you within a short wait time. The menu consisted of hometown favorites such as Joe's Pizza and Ess-a Bagel in addition to the signature Good Uncle meals.

These meals were made in Good Uncle's warehouse kitchen and were delivered to all spots on campus including Schine Student Center, Bird Library, and student dorms. Good Uncle was the best option for a quick meal in-between classes or for late night snacking.

However, this year Good Uncle has completely revised their entire system. In theory, these changes seemed like the solution to all the minor mishaps that the company experienced last school year, but after using the app and being a meal plan member myself throughout the semester so far, Good Uncle has not lived up to the standards I was expecting. 

Good Uncle no longer cooks their meals in their kitchen. Instead, they prepare cold meals that they keep stocked in the truck and cook them in ovens that are built into the truck as they are doing their daily rounds throughout campus. Meals would always be fresh and warm, sounds great right? It turns out it is not so great.

With the new system, drivers have to add in time to cook the meals in between stops which caused wait times to exceed one hour. Additionally, meals were selling out almost instantly and students were left with not only long wait times but no variety of options to choose from. With the truck only starting to go out for the day at five o'clock and items selling out so quickly, this caused chaos. Students with Good Uncle meal plans felt as if their meal plans had gone to waste. Yes, the food was delicious, but there was no way of getting it when you wanted it, so students started turning to other options. 

The main reason for this is that since the food is now being cooked in the truck, there are only a limited number of ovens available. So, if you were not one of the first ten people to place an order as soon as the app went live for the day, you were forced to either choose another meal or another drop off location, going against the ease that many students love about using Good Uncle.

Things did get better for Good Uncle soon though.

The company responded to this situation by overnighting a second truck to campus and releasing a direct cell phone line for students to contact if they found problems with their experience. Also, for popular locations on campus such as Watson Hall, they added a second drop off point on Waverly Avenue. 

With the system's mistakes taken care of, Good Uncle has bounced back from their rocky start of the semester and student's are enjoying the various meals on the menu. The menu consists of Build-Your-Own Bowls, Burgers and Tenders, Homestyle Plates, Pasta dishes, Sandwiches, Snack Packs, and a number of additional sides.