The Yum Mobile, a spin on the Bum Mobile, is being implemented as a food truck on campus by Sodexo, offering all of campus’s favorite meals to more accessible locations for students.
Steve Wilkins, concession manager for Sodexo, explained the main purpose of the Yum Mobile is to help students who don’t have time for lunch between classes.
The Yum Mobile rotates between outside of Raven Precision Agriculture, Avera, and Crothers on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Though the schedule is constantly changing based on availability.
Customers can find all their favorite campus foods such as Chick-fil-A sandwiches, Erbert and Gerberts subs, individual pieces of Slices pizza, sushi from Mein Bowl and SDSU ice cream.
Damian Lewis, the resident district manager of Sodexo, says the main purposes of the Yum Mobile are to bring food to students who are in ‘food deserts’ and to mitigate lines in other food spots on campus.
“The student union is very centralized and the academic and residents’ halls are kind of far away. We want to try to bring the food to them.” Lewis says, “and If we could get 50 or so people out to the food truck knowing that there is Chick-fil-A, we could take care of those customers there rather than them creating a longer line at Chick-fil-A.”
Casey Nordaard, field marketing specialist for Sodexo, is trying to make the Yum Mobile more consistent and accessible for students.
“I want students to sign up for a text subscription.” He says “You type NoseyNews to 82257. Then I can send out a text message saying the Yum Mobile will be at this location from here to here.”
This text subscriptions through Jack’s Dining, sends out updates such as deals, events and more.
This way everyone will get the same message and keep up to it within real time. Students can also keep up with ‘SDStateDining’ on Instagram for any updates.
Sodexo is also working on putting up flags out the day before so students or staff can know beforehand.
Currently, the food truck is drawing attention from students because it is something new, however the attention doesn’t necessarily mean Yum Mobile has had lots of customers.
“There aren’t too many sales” Lewis says, “but as more and more students see it, we are seeing more sales which is great.”
Lewis explains that the Yum Mobile was a concept proposed as part of the food services bid with the Board of Regents for all state schools in South Dakota.
“We put together our plan for food on campus.” Lewis said, “So along with bringing in Qdoba, the food truck was also part of this plan.”
Though the Yum Mobile is taking a spin off the Hobo classic, Bum Mobile, Sodexo is also utilizing food trucks at other universities like University of South Dakota.
The Yum Mobile also has another use on campus. On game day it is used for concessions where it serves as an ice cream truck.
The food truck will be out as weather allows. It is a battery powered machine so as it gets colder it does not function as well, so make sure to get your food before the South Dakota winter hits.
