Snackpass app sweeps Thayer Street

A new food-ordering app has arrived on College Hill with a novel approach to takeout in tow. Snackpass, founded in New Haven by Kevin Tan, Jonathan Cameron and Jamie Marshall, is similar to its counterparts in that it streamlines online orders. But what separates Snackpass from the masses is an innovative discount-sharing program.

The ingenuity of Snackpass is in its DNA, uncorking mutual benefits for local eateries and college-student networks. The app provides advertising for local businesses, rewards specific to its restaurant partners, and a fun gifting feature that allows users to send friends points and discounts. Many food vendors will otherwise pour resources into marketing to reach college students, and ordering ahead increases efficiency on both sides of the counter. Overall, it’s a win-win situation that’s setting the guide rails for ordering technology with a social conscience.

How Snackpass works:
1. Order on your way from class or practice
2. Your food will be ready when you get there
3. Get free food by stacking up reward points

The idea for Snackpass originated in an economics course at Yale back in 2016. Co-founder Kevin Tan ’17 was interested in using price discrimination to bring restaurants more orders through discounts, which are determined by the stage of a customer’s journey. Tan teamed up with Jamie Marshall ’19 and Jonathan Cameron of OSU ’11 to democratize the savings for all college students and support the local restaurants they frequent.

The trio of founders, who now lead ten interns and sixty brand ambassadors, told The Tab they are "currently focused on designing new features and expanding to other campuses."

And Snackpass’s relevance is certainly swelling. Brown University students cannot miss the bright blue logos multiplying around campus, nor the social media hype. Recently, Jacka Harrington’s post in the Brown admitted students '19 Facebook page sent a flash-flood of peers to B.GOOD with 70 percent off all orders for first-time users of the app. Other partners such as Bajas Tex Mex are offering free extras, like chips and a drink, with Snackpass orders.

Fellow Brunonian Hannah Kim is an avid user. “The community aspect Snackpass taps into is great,” Kim told The Tab. “I love getting notifications when my friends share rewards with me. I use it almost every time I'm picking up food on Thayer.”

Marshall, the app’s youngest co-founder, took the semester off to work for Snackpass full time. She told us about their biggest challenge, which seems like a good one to have: handling order volume. “Many of the restaurants in New Haven have hired new employees to complete the large amount of Snackpass orders,” said Marshall. Thayer street tenants may have to follow suit.

But this isn’t stopping Snackpass. “Our plan is to keep growing Snackpass at Brown and then expand to campuses in Boston like Harvard and BU,” added Marshall. Check out our list below of places to utilize and share Snackpass savings around Brown University.

Follow @snackpass_ on Instagram and DM them if you're interested in becoming a brand ambassador.

Providence Snackpass partnerships:
♣Bajas Taqueria ♣Bajas Tex Mex ♣East Side Pockets ♣La Creperie
♣B.GOOD ♣Meeting Street Café ♣Bagel Gourmet, Brook St.
♣Pokeworks ♣Vivi Bubble Tea ♣PieZoni’s ♣Yan’s Cuisine
♣Wong’s Kitchen ♣Wow Barbecue ♣Heng Thai and Rotisserie ♣Soban Korean Eatery ♣Sushi Express ♣Chong Qing House
♣Minerva’s Pizza ♣Angkor Restaurant