From Late Nights at Old C’s to Robot Couriers: How Food Delivery at CSU Has Transformed

Publisher’s Letter – February 2025

By Blaine Howerton

The future of food delivery has arrived at Colorado State University, and it’s rolling around on six wheels. If you haven’t seen them yet, the new fleet of autonomous delivery robots is making its way across campus, bringing meals directly to students, faculty, and staff with just a few taps on an app. It’s a glimpse of the high-tech convenience that’s becoming the norm, but for those of us who spent our college years hustling between classes and part-time jobs, it’s a stark contrast to how we used to grab a bite to eat.

Back in the ‘90s, when I was a journalism student at CSU, late nights at Campus Television in the Lory Student Center were a regular part of my routine. After a long day of producing stories and editing video, my friends and I would head to Old Chicago (Old C’s, as we called it) in Old Town for some much-needed food and downtime. I remember one particular evening when we were all buzzing about a new beer that had just hit the local scene—an innovative release from a young Fort Collins brewery called New Belgium. It was exciting to be in the middle of something that would become a defining part of the city’s identity.

Today, CSU students don’t have to trek to Old Town for a late-night snack. With these robotic couriers, food comes to them. It’s a different world—one shaped by technology and changing expectations of convenience. We covered this story in detail in our latest article, Food Delivery Goes Futuristic at CSU: Robot Couriers Now Rolling Across Campus—you can read it here: https://northfortynews.com/category/business-education/food-delivery-goes-futuristic-at-csu-robot-couriers-now-rolling-across-campus/.

At North Forty News, we publish new stories daily at northfortynews.com, covering the latest developments, community events, and local innovations. Our weekly e-edition is available at northfortynews.com/this-week, and subscribers receive daily news emails when they sign up at northfortynews.com/subscribe.

As Fort Collins continues to grow and evolve, it’s fascinating to watch new technology integrate into the daily lives of CSU students. Who knows? Maybe one day, those robots will be delivering a fresh New Belgium beer—if regulations ever allow it. Until then, I’ll keep reminiscing about those late nights at Old C’s and watching Fort Collins’ story unfold.

Thank you for being a part of North Forty News.

Blaine Howerton
Publisher, North Forty News

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