San Marcos has seen a rise in delivery services in recent years, now adding UberEATS to the list of services students are turning to as a new way to enjoy meals and make money.
UberEATS, a multinational delivery service started by Uber Technologies, debuted its services in San Marcos Sept. 6 after months of planning to open near the beginning of the fall semester, making it the third delivery service, following Texas ToGo and Favor, to open up shop.
Food delivery services have been a tradition for Bobcats since College Delivery was founded in 2002, originally named Bobcat Delivery until 2005.
Albert Garcia, co-owner and manager of Texas ToGo, started Bobcat Delivery after winning a national business model competition in 2002 while he studied business management at Texas State.
Due to the growing market, Garcia rebranded and expanded College Delivery with Rustin Hicks, Texas State alumnus and former owner of local delivery services in other Texas cities, to create Texas ToGo.
Garcia and Hicks now work side-by-side as co-owners and co-managers to provide 14 Texas communities with their delivery services.
Favor, another Texas-based delivery service, opened operations in San Marcos in Aug. 2015.
Each service can be utilized through an app or website. Users can choose a restaurant from their list of partners, place the order, make a payment and then wait for their favorite food to be delivered almost anywhere.
Many college students fall into the millennial generation. For the San Marcos community, this generation plays a significant role in the success of these delivery services. Many Bobcats are opting out of dining in at casual-dining establishments for more appealing delivery options that meet their day-to-day needs.
Janet Vasquez, criminal justice freshman, uses a delivery service to order food with a friend to their dorm regularly.
“Neither of us has a car here right now,” Vasquez said. “But we wanted to try a new restaurant, so it gave us a convenient way to do so.”
Vasquez said using a delivery service can save time and allows users to avoid traffic and construction when planning a busy day.
Carla Molina, communications director for Texas ToGo, said their company notices an increase in business around busy times during college semesters such as midterms and finals week.
Traum-Anh Nguyen, marketing senior, said having a busy workload is not the only time food delivery services can be helpful.
“There are times that I don’t really want to leave and deal with going out to get food,” Nguyen said. “Sometimes, I am in the middle of something and don’t have time, such as when I was moving into a new apartment.”