The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

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The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

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Student Startup Delivers Late-Night Snacks to Dorm Rooms in North

The snacks are guaranteed to be delivered within 20 minutes but often come in under 10, said the founders.

The Brown Paper Bag, a new daily late-night snack delivery service started by two students, has recently opened in Campus North. Students can order snacks to be delivered directly to their room any time between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

The Brown Paper Bag argues that it is a more convenient alternative to delivery services such as Postmates or Uber Eats because the customer does not need to leave their room or wait for a long time.

The snacks are guaranteed to be delivered within 20 minutes, but are often delivered in under 10, according to the founders. Customers can pay using either Venmo or cash, and there is no delivery fee.

The two founders of the startup are first-year Campus North residents Colin Flaherty and Raphael Hillis. The two got the inspiration for the company from their own late-night snack cravings.

“As a first-year living in North, I noticed a gap in late-night food offerings. While Max Palevsky and South have their respective late-night convenience stores, North has no such thing. There is Insomnia, of course, but you can only eat so many cookies before you get sick of them,” Flaherty explained.

The pair hopes to eventually expand their service beyond North and into Granville-Grossman and Max Palevsky Residential Commons, where Brown Paper Bags could present a cheaper alternative to convenience stores near campus. Expanding their outreach may involve changes to their business model, Flaherty said.

“The first option would be to hire students living in other dorms, supply them with bags, and pay them an hourly salary,” Flaherty said. “The alternative would be to actually convert The Brown Paper Bag into a peer-to-peer snack marketplace, where students could buy and sell their surplus snacks to each other…. Most likely, we will pursue a mix of both strategies.”

Brown Paper Bags can be ordered online here.

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