As part of their efforts to keep up with the ever-changing technology and trends of society, Stevens Dining recently announced that Gateway Cafe in the Gateway Academic Center will close and become the new home of an Amazon Go on campus. To learn more, The Stute spoke with Madison Goslin, the Marketing Manager of Stevens Dining Services (SDS).
To start, Goslin explained some of the reasons for changing the location, stating: “In this era of technology, adaptation and innovation are paramount for progress. We believe that introducing Amazon Go to the Stevens campus perfectly resonates with the school’s values. At Stevens, “We are a community of innovators, motivated by solving problems, compelled to advance technological progress and improve the lives and condition of our global society. We are Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology™. Having successfully implemented Amazon Go at other campuses, the most recent being Montclair State, we’ve witnessed remarkable outcomes that exceeded all expectations. Bringing this store to the Stevens Campus was a natural and logical next step.”
Goslin continued in detailing the process to make this change, explaining, “Over the past year, we collaborated diligently with the school and our Amazon Liaisons to meticulously strategize this entire process. Additionally, we have gathered valuable insights from other schools that have already gone through this process and are now successfully operating their own Amazon Go locations.”
Goslin then offered a potential timeline for the construction project. Demolition of the existing Gateway Cafe began last Monday, November 6, and should continue until sometime in Spring 2024. However, to help aid the Stevens community while the location is under renovation, SDS “will continue offering coffee and grab-and-go items for purchase on the ground floor of the Gateway North building Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. as well as the beloved Smoothies moving to Cannon Cafe for the time being.”
One concern of some students is the fate of the employees who worked at the Gateway Cafe. Goslin responded to this concern with: “I understand that students had concerns about job losses on campus due to this location, but rest assured that our wonderful Gateway Cafe Ladies are here to stay! During the construction phase, they will be relocated to other Dining Locations on campus. Once the store opens, we will continue to have dedicated employees managing its operations.”
To finish, Goslin explained what the new experience will be like for students in the Amazon Go location: “To utilize the seamless Just Walk Out technology for shopping, customers can enter the store by simply swiping their credit card or campus card at the entry gates. They can then pick their desired items and exit without the need for a traditional checkout line or self-serve kiosk. Amazon’s Just Walk Out system employs sensor fusion, computer vision, and deep learning to identify the items customers take from or return to the shelves. The customer’s card will be charged for the items they selected once they’ve exited the store.”
While some questions remain, like if or what dining swipes will be accepted and if the smoothies and coffees Gateway Cafe served will remain permanently, among others, the new Amazon Go location represents the vision of SDS moving forward in Stevens’s innovative mission of the future.
