This semester, Bistro Burnett, the only dining option in the Mary Couts Burnett Library, is exclusively accepting online orders as a COVID-19 precaution.

In a normal semester, the cafe in a corner of the library would be crowded with long lines in limited space. But these lines aren’t forming this year, because the only way to get a sandwich at Bistro Burnett is to order through the Grubhub app.

Other dining options on campus, such as Chick-fil-A and Union Grounds, are still taking in-person orders.

None of TCU’s other on-campus dining options, such as Chick-fil-A and Union Grounds, have had to make the same switch, but the bistro’s limited space usually creates long lines that do not allow for social distancing.  

“It’s frustrating because I’ll walk into the library and want a water bottle but I know I have to order on Grubhub then sit there and wait for 5 minutes.”

Junior finance major Anna Hyland

Prior to the beginning of the school year, the Dining Services team came to the conclusion that it would be impossible for students to follow social distancing guidelines if Bistro Burnett were ever to reach maximum capacity. To address this, the team spent time measuring and pre-marking 6-foot distances in all dining areas where lines form. 

Dining Services’ Swati Bharathi said, “I thought [the transition] was going to be a lot harder, but honestly I think that what helped was everyone — including our employees, management and staff — have all used Grubhub on our own time. Because [Grubhub] was already in place at a national level, regardless of where you were coming from in the country, when [students] came here they knew it was nothing different.”

Students can use Campus Cash to order from Bistro Burnett on Grubhub. Some of them have experienced difficulties involving the Grubhub app, but many have found that their issues are easily fixed by changing their locations from their hometowns to Fort Worth.

“There have been very simple solutions, and because a lot of classes have gone online, campus has been very quiet and I think that also helps with the lines,” said Bharathi. “We’re here and we’re ready to go if there are changes that need to be made. We’ve had our management team out there constantly talking to students.”