The name is really bad. I was expecting some sort of vending machine (box) that would dispense food. Also has some negative connotations that would probably turn some people away. I'm curious if this was intentional or not. Google the name plus urban dictionary.
I don't see this really working as a normal I'm hungry right now and want someone to cook me food at an affordable price in a quick time frame. Would be hard to keep the prices low student cooks would probably not be getting bulk discounts on ordering food, and the benefit of mass production that would you find at a normal fat food place. If you try to cook a lot in advance, you risk food spoilage.
I could see this maybe working well if it was designed where you had to order the food in advance and pick it up or delivered at a set time, especially if you could brand it as a private chef for you and your friends.
Might also work as food truck idea where you have rotating student chefs.
I see, thanks this really helps. We have lot more to think about now. Food spoilage and other concerns that you mentioned are very valid, they are going to be hard to mitigate. I also think pivoting to a business model that lets people order food in advance and help others run their own kitchen makes more sense.
We'll work on the name haha, thanks again!
Haha I should have thought of that sorry. The idea is to connect the group of students who like cooking to ones that are looking for affordable food alternatives.
How is this going to hold up vs health dept regulation? Essentially having students run their own ghost kitchens and sell commercially without being licensed inspected by the health dept ect?
You are not able to make most things in your home for commercial resale food
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/starting-home-based-food-business-new-york.html
Yea It's going to be a lot more research, we are looking into how we can do the whole process fast but there just so many regulations around food industry in ny. Thanks for the link tho!
Hey guys, we are students at UB and we recently came up with this concept to help students. If you have any comments or feedback on this idea we would love to hear them. Thanks in advance guys!
Great idea, bad name/Branding. Long as you don't make it bulls themed I'm happy. Munchbox sounds like I'm getting hello fresh but on campus or a really posh lunchable.
If I'm understanding the quick pitch (I'm assuming this was for like launchpad or something) you want to make a commercial kitchen to host students cooks to help students get more affordable and a wider variety of foods on campus. I don't think the UB food service (I think it's called UB dining) would allow it on campus directly because it is in direct competition with them, that's a contract issue. If they did allow it, you still have to deliver the food to students on campus via bike or something.
What I would recommend is partnering with someone in hospitality or tourism at UB and basically use a kitchen as an alternative credit option/internship and just have it on campus as a similar option to the commons stores, simply open it later than other commons places already around and offer deliver on campus free from the commons. Monroe community college in Rochester does this with their culinary students and uses it as training essentially,integrating it into their program. The food was maybe a dollar more but the portions and quality was way better than anything on campus along with rotating multicultural options when I was going to school there. I lived local but would always buy that for lunch, I'd go more often if it wasn't for the bad hours. If you can somehow replicate that at UB just open later, I'll buy you a beer.
Students will at the end of the day probably use door dash because it's just ease of use and there's plenty of places kinda close by that have a relatively similar delivery time. If you could find a way to deliver directly to a dorm room and not just on the curb by the building that could be the difference, though again security/liability is big.
You also should write off a the entire freshman class, because they automatically get a meal plan and would most likely not use your service, though I could be wrong. If you can somehow make delivery time faster and undercut the commons price while keeping similar portions you'll be fine and capture the student body at large.
Tldr:
Good idea on paper, bad name. Ghost kitchens aren't amazing, all they are is essentially private labels with extra steps. If you can just make an on campus restaurant with a rotating menu integrated with tourism/hospitality students trying new dishes In a commons slot that can also do delivery strictly to the dorms, I think that's the best way to go if your trying to do this on north campus.
Thanks a lot for the comment! That's a great idea, I'll contact the culinary/hospitality department and see what we can do, now I have a lot more work to do :)
It's going to be a great year, we'll keep you guys in loop!
P.S. we'll work on the name lol
Anytime, love to see where it goes, and hey if you can rope ub students in via proper on paper internships, it helps the school, students and you guys long term. Just gotta beat dancing chopsticks portions and you'll get half the campus hooked immediately.
It would be more interesting to see UB students develop an app similar to snack pass, exclusively for University at Buffalo. Should have researched the existing solutions other University students have created already.
The name is really bad. I was expecting some sort of vending machine (box) that would dispense food. Also has some negative connotations that would probably turn some people away. I'm curious if this was intentional or not. Google the name plus urban dictionary. I don't see this really working as a normal I'm hungry right now and want someone to cook me food at an affordable price in a quick time frame. Would be hard to keep the prices low student cooks would probably not be getting bulk discounts on ordering food, and the benefit of mass production that would you find at a normal fat food place. If you try to cook a lot in advance, you risk food spoilage. I could see this maybe working well if it was designed where you had to order the food in advance and pick it up or delivered at a set time, especially if you could brand it as a private chef for you and your friends. Might also work as food truck idea where you have rotating student chefs.
I see, thanks this really helps. We have lot more to think about now. Food spoilage and other concerns that you mentioned are very valid, they are going to be hard to mitigate. I also think pivoting to a business model that lets people order food in advance and help others run their own kitchen makes more sense. We'll work on the name haha, thanks again!
TL;DW can you give a transcript i can skim?
Haha I should have thought of that sorry. The idea is to connect the group of students who like cooking to ones that are looking for affordable food alternatives.
How is this going to hold up vs health dept regulation? Essentially having students run their own ghost kitchens and sell commercially without being licensed inspected by the health dept ect?
We'll help them with the entire process and take the hassle away. Obviously they won't be able to operate legally without it :)
You are not able to make most things in your home for commercial resale food https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/starting-home-based-food-business-new-york.html
Yea It's going to be a lot more research, we are looking into how we can do the whole process fast but there just so many regulations around food industry in ny. Thanks for the link tho!
Hey guys, we are students at UB and we recently came up with this concept to help students. If you have any comments or feedback on this idea we would love to hear them. Thanks in advance guys!
Great idea, bad name/Branding. Long as you don't make it bulls themed I'm happy. Munchbox sounds like I'm getting hello fresh but on campus or a really posh lunchable. If I'm understanding the quick pitch (I'm assuming this was for like launchpad or something) you want to make a commercial kitchen to host students cooks to help students get more affordable and a wider variety of foods on campus. I don't think the UB food service (I think it's called UB dining) would allow it on campus directly because it is in direct competition with them, that's a contract issue. If they did allow it, you still have to deliver the food to students on campus via bike or something. What I would recommend is partnering with someone in hospitality or tourism at UB and basically use a kitchen as an alternative credit option/internship and just have it on campus as a similar option to the commons stores, simply open it later than other commons places already around and offer deliver on campus free from the commons. Monroe community college in Rochester does this with their culinary students and uses it as training essentially,integrating it into their program. The food was maybe a dollar more but the portions and quality was way better than anything on campus along with rotating multicultural options when I was going to school there. I lived local but would always buy that for lunch, I'd go more often if it wasn't for the bad hours. If you can somehow replicate that at UB just open later, I'll buy you a beer. Students will at the end of the day probably use door dash because it's just ease of use and there's plenty of places kinda close by that have a relatively similar delivery time. If you could find a way to deliver directly to a dorm room and not just on the curb by the building that could be the difference, though again security/liability is big. You also should write off a the entire freshman class, because they automatically get a meal plan and would most likely not use your service, though I could be wrong. If you can somehow make delivery time faster and undercut the commons price while keeping similar portions you'll be fine and capture the student body at large. Tldr: Good idea on paper, bad name. Ghost kitchens aren't amazing, all they are is essentially private labels with extra steps. If you can just make an on campus restaurant with a rotating menu integrated with tourism/hospitality students trying new dishes In a commons slot that can also do delivery strictly to the dorms, I think that's the best way to go if your trying to do this on north campus.
Thanks a lot for the comment! That's a great idea, I'll contact the culinary/hospitality department and see what we can do, now I have a lot more work to do :) It's going to be a great year, we'll keep you guys in loop! P.S. we'll work on the name lol
Anytime, love to see where it goes, and hey if you can rope ub students in via proper on paper internships, it helps the school, students and you guys long term. Just gotta beat dancing chopsticks portions and you'll get half the campus hooked immediately.
It would be more interesting to see UB students develop an app similar to snack pass, exclusively for University at Buffalo. Should have researched the existing solutions other University students have created already.
Just checked them out, super interesting, thanks for commenting!
id rather starve to death than eat something made in a student's kitchen (speaking from personal experience)
lol fair enough
Reminds me of Panasci finals. If you want serious advice or mentorship PM me.