The Challenge:
Before smart lockers, The Grind @ FML—a popular café inside Lehigh University’s E.W. Fairchild-Martindale Library—was running into real problems.
Students loved the place for its hot breakfast sandwiches, lunch fare, and grab-and-go options. But the popularity, paired with traditional pickup methods, created congestion, confusion, and friction on both sides of the counter.
“Crowding was becoming a big problem. Lines were getting longer,” said Jason Lenig, Director of Retail Dining. “Orders were getting picked up by the wrong student by accident. Maybe stolen. So, there were remakes that cost money. It was becoming a headache for employees. Both parties were getting frustrated.”
Something had to change.
Overall, just a tremendous success! I was really amazed how seamless it was with the students.
– Jason Lenig, Director of Retail Dining for Lehigh University
A Smarter, Scalable Solution
With mobile ordering already in place through Grubhub Campus—and 95% of students using the app—Lenig started looking for a way to streamline the final step: the pickup.
“I’d heard about the impact of using lockers,” said Lenig. “And we were looking at different types of systems.”
What he needed was clear:
- Integration with the existing Grubhub platform
- A solution that reduced staff disruption and eliminated order mix-ups
- Something scalable that could support a future expansion to other campus dining locations
That’s when he connected with Apex Order Pickup Solutions.
The Deployment
Apex campus dining experts worked with Lehigh to roll out a phased approach—starting with a bank of smart food lockers at The Grind. The lockers integrated seamlessly with Grubhub Campus, so students could order as usual and scan their QR codes at pickup for fast, secure access to their food.
“It was really amazing how seamlessly it went with the students,” said Lenig. “The majority of our students are registered in Grubhub, so having it there in the first place really helped with the locker integration.”
Within weeks, both students and staff had adapted.
The Results
300% Sales Increase | 98% Successful Pickup Rate
The Grind’s order pickup process got faster and smoother almost immediately.
Employees could load orders into the locker compartments and return to other tasks without constant interruptions or repeated order calls.
Accuracy improved. Remakes dropped. Frustration faded.
“I was really amazed at how the students adapted to the lockers,” said Lenig. “When we came back in the fall, I thought there might be a few bumps, but immediately they were using the QR code on the Grubhub app, and it was as if the lockers had always been there.”
Today, students place their orders in the app. When the food is ready, staff load it into the locker, scan the ticket, and the system sends a pickup notification to the guest. Students scan their QR code, the correct compartment opens, and they’re on their way in seconds.
Looking Ahead
The success at The Grind set the tone for what came next. Lehigh has since deployed five additional banks of Apex smart locker solutions in the newly renovated Clayton University Center, supporting multiple dining concepts in the space.
And a new ghost kitchen, launching this fall, will expand their use of automated order pickup even more.
“Seeing the success we had with the lockers at our library café location, it was a no-brainer to implement them in the new university center and beyond,” said Lenig. “My only regret is not getting Apex involved sooner in the design phase.”
Needless to say, it’s been incredible. The integration with Grubhub was seamless. And it eliminated all the problems we were talking about as far as bottlenecks and incorrect orders. It just improved employee efficiency and overall was a tremendous success.
– Jason Lenig, Director of Retail Dining for Lehigh University
The Takeaway
Apex provided Lehigh University with a reliable, efficient, and scalable solution that solved real operational pain points—and delivered a better experience for students.
“Needless to say, it’s been incredible,” said Lenig. “The integration with Grubhub was seamless. And it eliminated all the problems we were talking about as far as bottlenecks and incorrect orders. It just improved employee efficiency and overall was a tremendous success.”
Ready to see how Apex smart lockers solutions could improve your campus dining operation? Connect with an Apex solutions expert to get started.