The possibility of getting food from any restaurant delivered to you anywhere in Oxford is now a reality. JoyRun is an application that came to Ole Miss at the end of the spring semester and its growing popularity is bringing food to the students.
JoyRun can be downloaded on any smartphone near a college campus. It is for students’ use only requiring a university login in order to gain access to the application.
According to JoyRun, this application was started because “JoyRun is ideal for a hungry college student, hungry to make money or hungry to feast with friends.”
JoyRun’s current competitor in Oxford is Landshark Delivery Service that has been operating in Oxford since May 2015. These two companies essentially provide the same service of delivering food but the difference lies in the cost and delivery method.
While Landshark provides drivers they have a normal working schedule, unlike JoyRun where the user is able to decide when they want to work.
Baker Thurlow a Landshark employee since November 2015 does not believe that JoyRun will be competitive with Landshark. Thurlow believes the strong clientele that Landshark has gained over the years will allow their business to continue on as is.
“Honestly, I’m not really worried about it because we have most of the restaurants in Oxford anyway,” Thurlow said.
Another difference in the companies lies in the fact that Landshark works with the food companies directly where JoyRun works with the customer.
Kyle Slater, who has been working for JoyRun since late April, believes
the personal connection with the customer is what will make JoyRun successful.
This Google Map shows campuses across the United States where the app JOYRUN is used. Courtesy of JOYRUN app.
“Both apps have similar goals, JoyRun is different in the platform that it uses. It is specifically targeted towards college students, has a very social and interactive interface, and allows greater flexibility for both sides,” Slater said. “JoyRun can be used for any restaurant in Oxford at any time that a “runner” is available to deliver. Both companies can certainly co-exist though, as each serves slightly different purposes and audiences.”
The differences in the two companies will reflect in August when students are back in Oxford and school is back in session.
“Students’ should definitely consider taking advantage of both sides of the app. It provides a great option to make money on a very flexible schedule, as well as to have food delivered to you at virtually anytime and any place in Oxford,” Slater said.
