Press
Pool press kit
Pool is a food deals app for University of Chicago students. Verified students get deals at 14 Hyde Park restaurants, most of them 2-for-1. The first went live Monday, September 28. StruggleBeard Bakery starts Tuesday, September 29. B'Gabs Comfort Cafe starts Wednesday, September 30. Rajun Cajun, Dawn A.M. Eatery, Sweet Drip and The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar start Thursday, October 1. Deep Purpl and Nando's PERi-PERi start Thursday, October 8. The facts, the lineup and the files are below. For anything else, email Victor.
Press contact
Victor Hardt, founder
Interviews, a walkthrough of the app, and introductions to restaurant owners who agree to talk.
Fast facts
- First deals went live
- Monday, September 28, 2026, the first day of fall quarter
- Restaurants
- 14, all in Hyde Park
- Who can use it
- Students with a verified UChicago email
- Cost to students
- Free through January 17, 2027, on iPhone and Android
- Cost to restaurants
- Free for restaurants right now, with no commission
- Who gets paid
- The restaurant, at its own register. Pool doesn't handle payment
- How often
- Each deal once every 30 days per student
- Founder
- Victor Hardt, a second-year in the College
How a deal works
01
Book
A student picks a deal and, at most restaurants, books a time window in the app. Booking is free.
02
Show
At the counter they show a live pass with their name and a ticking clock. A screenshot does not work.
03
Pay
They pay the restaurant for one. Pool never takes a payment, and the deal comes back 30 days later.
Each restaurant sets its own offer.
The 14 restaurants
| Restaurant | Deal | Where | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Purpl | 2-for-1 Açaí Bowls (12 oz) | 5229 S Harper Ct | Oct 8 |
| Subway 53rd Street | 2-for-1 Sandwiches | 1400 E 53rd St | Sep 28 |
| Nando's PERi-PERi | 2-for-1 Half Chicken Plates | 1447 E 53rd St | Oct 8 |
| B'Gabs Comfort Cafe | 2-for-1 Philly Sandwiches | 1450 E 57th St | Sep 30 |
| Ja' Grill | 2-for-1 Jerk or Honey Wings | 1510 E Harper Ct | Sep 28 |
| Chemistry | 2-for-1 Wagyu Steak Frites | 5121 S Harper Ave | Sep 28 |
| Litehouse Whole Food Grill | 2-for-1 Wraps, Salads and Bowls | 1368 E 53rd St | Sep 28 |
| Cedars | 2-for-1 Chicken Shawarma Wraps | 1206 E 53rd St | Sep 28 |
| StruggleBeard Bakery | Free Refresher | 5221 S Harper Ct | Sep 29 |
| 5 Rabanitos | Choose Your Taco Perk | 1301 E 53rd St | Sep 28 |
| Rajun Cajun | 2-for-1 Indian Combo Meals | 1459 E 53rd St | Oct 1 |
| Dawn A.M. Eatery | 2-for-1 Chicken & Waffle Bites | 1642 E 56th St | Oct 1 |
| Sweet Drip | 2-for-1 Lattes | 1658 E 53rd St | Oct 1 |
| The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar | 2-for-1 Sushi, Pizza & More | 1312 E 53rd St | Oct 1 |
The restaurants behind the deals
Every restaurant is on 53rd, 56th, 57th or Harper, within walking distance of campus. Students pay each one at its own register. Two of them opened more than thirty years ago.
- Cedars
Sudki Abdullah started it in the back of a South Side grocery store in 1987. It has been on 53rd since 1992, and his son Amer owns it now.
- Rajun Cajun
Trushar Patel opened it in December 1993. The Indian food is the Patel family's recipes.
- Dawn A.M. Eatery
Racquel Fields opened her second restaurant on 56th in January 2024.
- Sweet Drip
A family-run dessert cafe, open since 2019.
- 5 Rabanitos
Chef Alfonso Sotelo opened the original in Pilsen in 2015 and the Hyde Park one in 2025.
About Pool, in one paragraph
Use it as is, or cut it.
Pool is a food deals app for University of Chicago students. Verified students book a deal in the app, show a live pass at the counter and pay the restaurant for one. Fourteen Hyde Park restaurants are on it for fall quarter 2026, including 2-for-1 açaí bowls at Deep Purpl and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street. Pool was founded by Victor Hardt, a UChicago student, and is free for verified students through January 17, 2027, on iPhone and Android. More at pooluchicago.org.
Files
App iconPNG, 1024 × 1024
App icon, smallPNG, 512 × 512
The Discover map, PNG, 1206 × 2622
The food photos on this site belong to the restaurants. For those, ask the restaurant, or email and Victor will connect you with the owner.
More
Pool is an independent student-built service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the University of Chicago.
Try the app
Browsing works without an account. Booking needs a UChicago email.
Download for iPhone
Get it on Google Play