Mariana Deters

Nicholas Eisengrein, a USF alum who graduated in 2026 with a degree in business management, spent long days delivering food around Tampa for Uber Eats and DoorDash while studying at USF. Few of those orders, he noticed, went to college students.

The gap between USF students and local businesses became 9Yaps, a mobile app that connects students with discounts from local businesses. Eisengrein said the app now has more than 15,000 downloads and more than 100 business partners in the Tampa Bay area.

“I think I did about 2,000 deliveries in Tampa, and maybe a dozen of them were to students,” Eisengrein said.

“Obviously there, that’s where the gap was.”
Users can browse participating businesses and available deals through the app, then visit a location and redeem a discount directly at the checkout. Rather than ordering through the app, users make their purchases in person and use 9 Yaps to save money, Eisengrein said.

He said local businesses near USF wanted to reach students, but many struggled to get their attention.

✍️ Check out my full story: https://www.usforacle.com/2026/10/14/usf-graduate-turns-delivery-job-into-growing-deals-app/

📸 Audrey Koczanski (@audreyslens_photography

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