Deals4MealsOnline.com allows Seton Hall students to order food online from 15 local restaurants using cash, debit and credit cards and now Pirate's Gold.
Kenneth Cucchia, a 2010 graduate of the Stillman School of Business, founded the company and has been working on this initiative for the last 16 months.
The company recently has been able to integrate the use of Pirate's Gold on the website as a form of payment.
"The ability to pay for their food from over 15 restaurants with Pirate's Gold and have it delivered to their dorm, apartment or house makes their life way more convenient," Cucchia said.
Seton Hall student and Deals4Meals intern John W. Sullivan said the main goal of the website is to provide Seton Hall students and area residents with an easy and quick way of ordering food and paying for it.
Fourteen of the restaurants are now accepting Pirate's Gold.
"The only restaurant that doesn't currently accept Pirate's Gold is IHOP - but they expect to soon," Sullivan said.
Users of the website get special promotions including daily coupons.
"If they follow us on Facebook, we post a coupon code daily," Sullivan said. "Every user gets 10 percent off their first order with us, from the restaurant of their choice."
The service is very secure and combines different cuisines into one website.
"Our drivers are instructed to check the student's ID when ordering with Pirate's Gold to ensure that the customer is really the person who ordered," according to Sullivan. "The service is 100 percent safe."
Students such as Marissa Hutton said that Deals4Meals made a smart move that would allow for more food options.
"I think it's a really efficient way of extending business into the community because there are so limited food opportunities, especially if you don't have cash," Hutton said.
Freshman resident Alexa Danback said that having other payment options makes this an ideal service.
"I think it's a good idea because not everyone has cash on them at all times especially late at night," Danback said.
Sophomore Veronica Beck said she likes the idea of ordering food online.
"A lot of students like to use the order online method," Beck said. "If more restaurants had this feature, they would get more business."
Beck said that most parents put money on their child's Pirate Gold so it is a smart idea to be able to use it.
"Being able to use all types of payment methods including Pirate's Gold will really grab the students' attention," Beck said.
Cucchia said she works continuously to update the website and increase the user experience.
"This is both a huge step for the business - and it kind of allows me to give something back to the Seton Hall community that has given me so much," Cucchia said.
Patrick Maroun can be reached at patrick.maroun@student.shu.edu.
