Acorn Dives into the 21st Century
It’s new to Acorn, but it’s not a new type of cookie or latte. It’s a system of ordering at the University’s coffee shop.
Aramark added two Kiosk machines, allowing customers to order electronically. They figured letting two people order at the same time would speed up the process, however some students aren’t sure it’s the best idea.
Senior Edith Veremu said the Kiosks take away the personal side of eating.
“I miss the interactions of talking to people while I’m ordering,” Veremu said. “That’s why I come here.” Veremu said.
But other students like sophomore Rachel Hall thought the new system was just too complex.
“The sides weren’t really clear; on how to get sides, or how to get a drink or something,” Hall said.
As if to demonstrate their complexity, two days after the addition, the Kiosks were marked as “Out of Order.”
“I just don’t really understand it, because if it isn’t broke, why fix it?” Senior Samantha Siberini said.
Acorn employees said they took the machines offline because they thought more options needed to be added until they could replace the good old pen and paper. This includes specifying the different types of meats students can order on their sandwiches, as opposed to the current “mixed meat” option on the machines.
“I think ideally it’s a good idea, and in the end it will end up working well,” Hall said, “but until people get used to it, its going to slow things down a lot.”
Acorn isn’t the first dining spot on campus to sport the technology. Boar’s Head Deli in downstairs Colonnades has had them since last year. And with the Lakeview dining hall opening in the spring, these machines might make an appearance at more than just Acorn and Boar’s Head, giving students plenty of time to become familiar with them.
