Hungry students tired of dealing with the hassle of busy signals and long lines have a new way to order from local restaurants.
HungryDevils.com allows students to order food through a Web site for no extra charge.
"The whole agenda is to make life easier for the students," said Vipin Motwani, an MBA student and one of the company's creators.
When students place an online order on the Web site, a fax is sent straight to the restaurant.
Motwani said he thought of the concept last September as a way to make ordering food easier for students.
As a graduate student, Motwani said he understands how tight money can be for students. The company's business plan was based upon providing a free service for students.
"The way we make money is that we charge the restaurants," he said.
Since Hungry Devils' concept is fairly new, Motwani said the company had trouble convincing restaurants to participate.
"Placing an order for food online is a new idea," he said. "Getting over that mental hurdle, getting them to buy into the system, is hard."
But he said those businesses who use the service are beginning to see the benefits.
"Right now we have contracts with 10 restaurants," Motwani said. "Six restaurants are taking orders online."
Though the company has only been taking orders for a couple of weeks, Motwani said student feedback has been positive.
"The students love it," he said. "It's very convenient."
In addition to providing a link for students to order food, the Web site also offers complete menus and plans to eventually offer coupons as well, Motwani said.
Pankaj Belani, Motwani's partner, said the company is doing fairly well in such early stages.
"We've actually just started marketing and we've gotten about 20 orders or so," he said.
Gus's New York Pizza, located at University Drive and Rural Road, has been using the service for a couple of weeks.
"We've had a little response, but not very much," said Sawarndip Fingh, who works at Gus's.
Fingh said he expects the business will grow through word of mouth.
"I'm hopeful that in the future it'll be better," he said. "I think it's a good idea. I think it's a good thing, but it's new."
On average, Fingh said Gus's receives about one order from Hungry Devils each day. He said the students who use the service seem to prefer it.
"I think they liked it," he said. "It's easier than waiting on the phone. It's more clear."
Reach the reporter at kelsey.perry@asu.edu.
