David Feinstein knows that students living on campus face problems when getting their weekly groceries, including time constraints, transportation issues and parking restrictions.
Feinstein, a UF finance sophomore, is starting Gator Grocers with two other UF students.
The company will deliver groceries to students on campus to help alleviate the headache caused by shopping.
Matt Chais, a management sophomore and co-founder, said Gator Grocers will be run entirely online.
Sam Frazer, a business administration sophomore and co-founder said, "You'll go to our Web site, fill your grocery cart, schedule a delivery time and check out."
Students will be able to set up an account similar to the Gator 1 declining balance and will be able to deposit money on the Web site, which is expected to be running in four to six weeks.
Gator Grocers will accept orders until 8 p.m. the night before one of the four scheduled delivery days per week. The company plans on transporting the goods in a converted trailer. Customers will pay a delivery charge of $3.50 to $4 and will receive a phone call when their food arrives at their residence.
The co-founders expect their startup costs to be around $12,000, and they hope to be fully operational by summer B. They will use that time as a test run to prepare for the influx of students in the fall.
Feinstein had the idea to start the company when he was taking an entrepreneurship class last spring, he said.
He told Frazer and Chais about his idea, and they jumped on board.
The three collected information on current shopping habits by surveying 600 students from 12 different dorms. From their findings, they realized that a grocery delivery service would be useful.
"Right now, we're targeting incoming freshman and people who live on campus in dorms, sorority or fraternity houses," Feinstein said. "We hope to eventually expand to neighboring apartments and homes."
