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Syracuse University sophomore Brooke Madigan has used Good Uncle to avoid crowded buildings such as the dining hall. But the food delivery service was “relatively contactless” even before the coronavirus pandemic, said director of growth and marketing Dylan Gans.

Good Uncle launched in 2016, first offering delivery at SU before expanding to 15 other campuses with a variety of home-cooked, healthy meal options including chicken plates and salads. This week, SU’s on-campus cafes will also offer Good Uncle products while supplies last.

The contactless delivery service allows students to order their meal through the Good Uncle app and pick it up from drop points, Gans said. These points are normally not very crowded, which makes the company “built” for an age of social distancing during the COVID-19, he said.

For students like Madigan, ordering from Good Uncle has provided the opportunity to eat healthy food options without ever having to leave the University Neighborhood or encounter large groups of people. Compared to other delivery services, Madigan said Good Uncle also tends to be a more affordable option due to fewer service fees.

Good Uncle started at SU in 2016 but now delivers food to college students on 15 other college campuses. Molly Gibbs | Senior Staff Photographer

“Delivery is a super expensive business, and it’s a shame. It’s why you see some of these major delivery companies struggling to make money,” Gans said.

Good Uncle tries to keep its prices reasonable to students while still supporting its business, Gans said. The average price of a meal on big third-party providers is close to $18 or $20, Gans said, but the average Good Uncle meal is about $12.

While Good Uncle hasn’t changed anything fundamentally within their business, the company has made changes on the back end in terms of social distancing and abiding by COVID-19 regulations.

“Everyone is wearing masks — all of our drivers and staff,” Gans said. “We have also adapted a really detailed coronavirus health mandate and are working on being more contactless from everywhere with our food and our kitchens.”

Good Uncle driver Jimmy Vongsa has been working for Good Uncle in Syracuse for over a year and a half. The company is managing as best as it can during these times and making sure to be extra cautious with all the new restrictions, he said.

Good Uncle has taken this opportunity to grow its business and be there for students who might now need them more than ever, Gans said. Since last semester, the company doubled the size of the markets it serves, expanding to 16 total campuses.

“We had really successful launches,” Gans said. “We are having a strong semester.”

In addition to providing food on campus, Gans said that Good Uncle is constantly finding new markets for its food outside the typical higher education delivery service — something that will always be its main focus of business. The food delivery service has been bringing food to hospitals, which Gans said has “gone extremely well.”

Currently, Good Uncle is also working on collaborating with Syracuse University Food Services to allow students the option to pay for Good Uncle with meal swipes and dining dollars.

Keone Weigl, the marketing and promotions manager for SU Food Services, said in a statement that the university’s relationship with Good Uncle is “in its infancy.” Beginning this week, SU will offer Good Uncle products in on-campus convenience stores, such as Food Works, South Campus Express and West Campus Express.

Good Uncle’s menu includes a roasted chicken plate, salads and pasta dishes that students can order using the Good Uncle app. Jordan Greene | Contributing Writer

SU Food Services is testing out the Good Uncle products to gauge students’ perspectives and will review after this week before deciding how to move forward, Weigl said.

In the future, Gans hopes to work with the university to provide meals to students who are quarantining and to finalize other methods for students to access their food.

“I hope that we can find more affordable prices going forward. We are exploring a couple of different things right now,” Gans said. “What would be interesting is if there are schools that would want to work with Good Uncle on a meal plan that we could support with financial aid.”

Published on October 13, 2020 at 10:43 pm