CEO Victoria Liu was in line at a concession stand when she first had the idea to create a stadium food delivery app. Liu pivoted this idea to create BYPPO, a food delivery service centered around local restaurants. Her app began operating in Gainesville, Florida, before expanding to the rest of the United States.
Liu’s BYPPO has grown considerably since its inception in 2019, with the app introducing users to different kinds of cuisines in the area. This helps local establishments stay afloat, especially with the waived fees for restaurants in the Gainesville area during the Covid19 pandemic.
The next step for Liu and BYPPO is BYPPOcampus, a service tailored to universities which improves the college experience by providing convenient food options for students and an eco-friendly networking opportunity on campus grounds.
“BYPPOCampus is a campus food delivery program run by students, for students – all with safety, sustainability, and social responsibility at its core,” shares Liu.
Liu’s new service identifies three trending issues in the university landscape where BYPPOCampus is helping with:
Student Employment
Working in the university setting provides valuable experience to students as they transition to the real world. This also provides students with a way to earn their own income.
Employing students can be challenging, but BYPPOCampus’ approach offers a solution. Students can sign up to be delivery runners and work on their own schedules giving them the flexibility to decide their hours. In cooperation with the university, the service also taps into student organizations to recruit student runners and help meet their fundraising needs.
Student safety is guaranteed because all deliveries are done within campus grounds.
Educating Sustainable Students
More schools are incorporating sustainability into their curriculum. BYPPOCampus exclusively conducts the deliveries through eco-friendly means like using energy-efficient scooters, public transportation, bikes, and walking. Every transaction made through BYPPOCampus is also paperless and sustainable.
Experiential Learning
Liu believes that people learn best by doing. BYPPOCampus allows students to apply what they have learned in the classroom in real-world situations by educating students to become CEOs of their school’s BYPPOCampus programs. Through this, students are given a chance to learn the ins and outs of running a business. It also serves as a platform to enhance their professionalism, networking, leadership, and accountability skills.
Ready to be a part of the university experience
The service has been well-received by campuses across the United States.
“The future of Higher Ed hospitality includes delivery as an innovative way to meet students, faculty, and staff where they are. And BYPPOCampus is simply the superior solution to being able to connect with anyone, anywhere, at the moment of truth. Combined with experiential learning opportunities and social enterprise, there is no competition,” shares Larry Lee, M.Ed., CASP. Larry is a veteran university administrator, certified auxiliary services professional, and higher ed hospitality program expert that holds a master’s in higher education administration.
Students have also taken to the service positively. “Great for on-campus ordering. Ordered food on UF Campus with this app, and it was very good! I enjoyed skipping the lines. It was super convenient,” shares app user Karen Taft.The team continues to launch the service in schools nationwide. Colleges interested in getting started with BYPPOCampus can visit www.byppocampus.com for more details.
