When she’s running late or behind schedule, Katrina Taverna, communication sophomore, does not want to wait in line for her morning coffee so she uses Tapingo.

The mobile ordering app for universities allows students to skip lines and pick-up on the go by ordering food and beverages using phones, tablets, or computers.

For Taverna, the beauty of Tapingo is a simple solution to the pressure of her schedule.

“I love it,” she said. “I place an order for a coffee five minutes before leaving the dorm and it’s ready for me when I arrive.”

The app is free to download in the App Store and Google Play, and to set up a Tapingo account, students create a username and establish a preferred payment option.

Tapingo, currently used by more than 150 colleges, was purchased by mobile food conglomerate Grubhub for $150 million in November 2018, according to a press release from the website.

The on-campus dining locations that currently partner with Tapingo to deliver food options include Subway, Tsunami Sushi by AFC, Smoothie King, Starbucks and Original Burger Company Grill.

Dawana Frank, Original Burger Company Grill manager, said the Tapingo app is a great advantage for students looking for a quick bite to eat or a caffeine boost to get them through the day.

“Students can put in an order on the phone while waiting for a class to end and know it will be ready before the start of the next class. The app makes a student’s busy schedule easier,” Frank said.

Grecia Hingst, criminology freshman, has used the app four times since discovering Tapingo and said that she appreciates being able to use Wolf bucks as her method of payment.

With a wide variety of convenience stores and restaurants along St. Charles and the surrounding New Orleans area, students with more free time, better transportation, and wider pallets might find Tapingo’s limitations bothersome.

Patricia Whelan, psychological sciences freshman, said she used the app once but prefers other options.

“I ordered coffee from the Starbucks café once, but I didn’t care too much for the app,” she said. Whelan said she does not plan on purchasing food from the app in the future.

In a statement on its website, Grubhub said it sees a bright future for Tapingo.

“Grubhub’s restaurant marketplace and delivery operations complement the Tapingo platform and will enable campus dining programs to expand delivery capabilities and access more diners both on and off campus while providing students with more restaurant options,” Grubhub said.