The St. John’s University community competed in the Johnnies Day Food Trail from Feb. 15–21, scanning QR codes at restaurants and businesses predominantly in New York City and Nassau County. The competition included 96 participating locations in the region.
Community members who collect the most QR scans will receive prizes, featuring St. John’s apparel and a pair of tickets to the Red Storm’s men’s basketball game against Villanova at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 28, which includes exclusive access to a pregame reception.
The competition is split into five categories — students, faculty, alumni, business owners and fans — winners will be awarded within each group. In the business-owner category, winners are determined by which participating location draws the most Food Trail visitors.
St. John’s University alumni own some of the businesses, like Stout NYC Hospitality Group, headed by Martin Whelan, who graduated from St. John’s in 1984, and currently serves on the University’s Board of Governors. Stout NYC owns several of the locations that were listed on the Food Trail.
Whelan described the turnout from the promotion as “underwhelming,” except for the final day of the promotion which brought in St. John’s fans heading to the Red Storm men’s basketball game at Madison Square Garden.
“We really didn’t see all that much from the Food Trail,” Whelan told The Torch. “Many of our locations are in the city and students didn’t want to make the trip,” he continued.
Instead, students went to locations more local to campus, like QDOBA Mexican Eats on 188th St. in Fresh Meadows.
“I think it’s a good system since many of these are places me or my friends already enjoy going to. QDOBA is my favorite of those,” sophomore Jackson Lamanna explained. As a resident student who does not always want to eat at on-campus dining halls, he found the Johnnies Day Food Trail to be both a fun and practical initiative.
“I always thought the school should get deals with off-campus restaurants to better help their students,” Lamanna continued.
Businesses and students alike benefited from the restaurant scavenger hunt, as it promoted the exploration of unfamiliar spots, and offered incentives for visiting local favorites.
Miranda Maligno, another sophomore, was excited to see one of her favorite restaurants, Tutto Calcio, on the expansive list of businesses participating in the Johnnies Day Food Trail.
The Italian espresso bar is located in Whitestone, Queens—about 20 minutes from the main campus. Maligno hoped that the Food Trail inspired students to check out the unassuming restaurant.
Some were unaware of or unenticed by the prospect of the Johnnies Day Food Trail. Junior Nicholas Keefer told The Torch that he has “been to some of the restaurants before,” but was “unsure about the promotion because he would have to visit too many restaurants to win.”
Keefer added that he found it to be a “cool idea,” but overall felt the effort to visit several restaurants was not ultimately worth the prize.
The Johnnies Day Food Trail winners will be announced by Wednesday, Feb. 25, leaving participants hungry for the results.
