Tucked behind the stairs on the first floor of Nideyinàn is a new fully automated convenience store called Quick Eats.
Quick Eats opened on March 4 in a limited capacity and opened fully on March 11. The store is open 24 hours and no staff is needed for its operation.
University spokesperson Steven Reid said the store caters to the needs of students.
“Quick Eats provides the Carleton community with an innovative solution for around the clock dining,” he said.
Quick Eats sells chocolate bars, chips, soft drinks, wraps and Halal microwaveable meals.
Thomas André, a first-year public affairs and policy management student, was impressed by the convenience of Quick Eats.
“I was initially perplexed because I was used to the gas station type of set up where you cash out, so the convenience here of walking out was very useful,” André said.
Quick Eats uses automated technology linked to the Hey Chef app, allowing people to purchase goods without going through a checkout.
To shop at Quick Eats, users must download the Hey Chef app and set up a payment method.
Customers can pick up the items they want and walk back out of the store through the gates once they are done shopping. Receipts are sent through email later that day.
Overhead video tracking systems and sensors monitor the actions of shoppers to reduce the risk of theft.
If there is more than one customer in the store, the sensors can track who takes what.
Dare Dara, a first year communications student, works for Hey Chef and has been helping with the new store. Dara said the automated store has attracted a lot of curious students.
“On average we probably get a couple hundred people per day,” Dara said.
Dara estimates the most successful part of Quick Eats will likely be its coffee.
“It’s open 24/7, so if you’re a student and you’re tired and grinding, you can always come here and grab a coffee,” he said.
Quick Eats supplies its coffee from Birch Bark, an Indigenous-owned and operated company.
André said he believes Quick Eats could have a successful future at Carleton.
“If you’re selling gum, generic snacks and meals ready to go you’ll definitely get students to buy it,” he said.
Featured image by Michael McBean.
