The all-too-familiar disappointment of opening the fridge only to find butter and an empty Brita water pitcher can finally be put to bed. Between school, work and friends, college students aren’t left with a lot of free time for grocery shopping. That’s how the idea for Food2Dorm popped up. Chris Sammons, a recent University of Kentucky graduate, has developed a new company aimed to simplify student life.

The Columbus, Ohio-based service allows college students, especially those who live on campus with no car, to do their shopping online. Founder Sammons didn’t have a car while he was in college, and grocery shopping was a bit difficult to manage.

“My mom used to send me packages,” he says. “She used to actually go out and shop, fill them up and send them down to me. That was a pain on her, so I figured there had to be a better solution.”

Because traffic and parking are so problematic in Los Angeles, this could definitely be a convenient option for students in the area. If you can avoid getting in your car, you might as well hop online and save some gas money and valuable time.

The Web site offers groceries, school supplies and dorm accessories. You can also find toiletries, medicine and much more. There are over 2,000 items on the site, so you have a lot of choices. Food2Dorm is constantly adding useful items and encourages students to share their suggestions for merchandise they would like to see added.

“We’ve really been listening to students. Our whole philosophy is that if we don’t have something or if there’s something you think needs to be changed, we want to know. This is for you,” Sammons says.

After only six months of business, the company now serves every campus in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. Don’t let the name fool you, though. Food2Dorms reaches more than just college dorms. They also deliver off campus to your apartment as well.

Food2Dorm’s Web site is definitely worth a visit. It offers lots of deals and a loyalty program to customers. You can receive store credit for being a returning customer or referring friends. You can also save your orders online to make your next visit quicker or even place an order for items to be shipped on a future date. When ordering, students should expect to receive their purchases in one to three business days.

The site also allows parents to contribute to their child’s account and keep tabs on how the money is spent.

“We’re really trying to interact student with parent,” Sammons says. “They can go online and give them $100 and know that that money’s going to be spent on food and things that they actually need rather than just putting it into a bank account.”

Food2Dorm is taking giant steps and plans to offer much more by the fall. Customers will be able to order care packages as well as clothing. High school seniors will also be able to start a gift registry for their high school graduation. Family and friends will be sent an e-mail with a list of items that the student would like for their dorm room, and they can have them shipped there.

Though Food2Dorm is based in Ohio, plans are in the works for a Houston and possibly a West Coast warehouse as well. There are also opportunities for students to get involved with the Food2Dorm Ambassador program, in which they can work on commission to spread the word about the company.

According to Sammons, the business had a soft opening and has since expanded rapidly. He took a giant leap of faith in starting the company.

“I funded the entire company out of my pocket,” he says. “So it was a pretty big risk, but I had the belief that my concept would work. I want to help people, and I really feel like I am going to help students all over the U.S.”



For more information, call (877) 614-DORM (3676) or visit food2dorm.com.