Serving up success: fine-tuning a food service program to meet today's market demands could help your institution earn its just desserts.Remember the ad slogan, "Orange Juice: It's not just for breakfast anymore" from a few years back? Well, on college and university campuses today, food is not just for breakfast anymore. Or lunch and dinner, for that matter. Today a well-run campus food service can not only satisfy a broad range of appetites, but it can also be a key element of a recruiting effort and can help generate institutional revenue via lucrative partnerships and side ventures. But let's not Let's Not is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in Boston University Graduate Journal in December 1954. It was written for no payment as a favour to the journal, and later appeared in the collection Buy Jupiter. put a la carte before the horse; Like a good meal, the recipe for a winning food service program starts with the right ingredients. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER If a university plans to cater to the needs of its students, it must first understand the unique traits of the demographic groups on campus, say food service experts. That's why well-worn methods of dining program design are now being revised. The old model assumed that a campus is like a city; therefore, dining program design was a simple matter of seeing how many men and how many women there were on campus, with other demographics such as minority populations factored in. "Those methods are good up to a point, but they miss one absolutely major point," says Tom Saine, VP of Business Development for Campus Services at facilities services provider Aramark (www.aramark.com). "They assume that a campus is just one place. Yet a campus, we've discovered, is really a bunch of neighborhoods." Neighborhood demographics. Focusing in on neighborhoods puts demographics into context. For example, says Saine, the fact that 54 percent of a university's population is female has Limited value. "But if I tell you that of that 54 percent women, there's a neighborhood in one Location that is 69 percent women, then that's where you need to create services and products that are appropriate to that core of women, or else you've missed the market." After all, he explains, campus neighborhoods are in reality concentrations of students, faculty, and staff on a campus over a prolonged period. Neighborhood makeup may even shift throughout the course of the day and evening. A neighborhood may consist of academic buildings brimming brim n. 1. The rim or uppermost edge of a hollow container or natural basin. 2. A projecting rim or edge: the brim of a hat. 3. A border or an edge. See Synonyms at border. with students and faculty from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., yet barely peopled from 6 to 8 p.m. Or it may consist of residence halls that empty in the morning but replenish in the evening; or Libraries and computer Labs--popular places for students to congregate con·gre·gate tr. & intr.v. con·gre·gat·ed, con·gre·gat·ing, con·gre·gates To bring or come together in a group, crowd, or assembly. See Synonyms at gather. adj. 1. Gathered; assembled. 2. throughout the day and evening. Timing is everything. The challenge for food service providers then becomes how to restage a campus to meet the service and product needs of the many campus neighborhoods, over the course of the day and the evening. "College students are sometimes up until 3 a.m.," says Saine. "So we might ask them whether we should have an all-night diner diner, restaurant resembling the railroad dining car that is its source. In the mid-19th cent., the first dining cars that appeared on trains were nothing more than an empty car with a fastened-down table. George M. . The idea that administrators close down buildings at 8 or 10 p.m., because that's when they think people should be going to bed, just doesn't cut it." At one time, in fact, food service was based on a model of three meals a day--breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Research shows, however, that students eat anywhere from five to seven times throughout the day. That realization has completely changed how schools approach food service programs, meal plans, and even facilities design. Easy to reach. And students' dining decisions are in many ways influenced by convenience. "We've learned that students don't want to walk more than three minutes "Three Minutes" is the 46th episode of Lost. It is the twenty-second episode of the second season. The episode was directed by Stephen Williams, and written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. It first aired on May 17, 2006 on ABC. to get to the closest dining Location," says Naala Royale, VP of Marketing for Campus Services at Aramark. "So we have to understand where students are at any particular point in the day, and make sure we have dining solutions to satisfy their needs--whether it is for midday refueling, or for sitting down to a full meal in the evening." Tragic patterns also play a major role in how food services food services Hospital services A 24/7 department in a hospital that provides for the nutritional needs of inpatients–eg, those needing special diets, preparing meals and transporting them to the floor and, through the cafeteria, the hospital staff and are arranged. "At the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. , there is a major campus pathway called Locust locust, in botany locust, in botany, any species of the genus Robinia, deciduous trees or shrubs of the family Leguminosae (pulse family) native to the United States and Mexico. Walk that is a thoroughfare THOROUGHFARE. A street or way so open that one can go through and get out of it without returning. It differs from a cul de sac, (q.v.) which is open only at one end. 2. Whether a street which is not a thoroughfare is a highway, seems not fully settled. from one end of the campus to the other," says Royale. "We discovered that although there was a city street one or two blocks over that might get them to their destinations quicker, people gravitated to that spine on campus. That allowed us to customize services for the right times in each particular neighborhood along Locust Walk." One result of that study was the renovation of the Class of 1920 Commons along the walkway, which now includes a Subway sandwich shop, and Bene Pizza and Salad Garden so that no one has to wander far off the path to get to an eatery. WHERE'S THE BEEF? The demographic drill-down can extend to specific groups as well. A successful food service program tries to support students in whatever their food and dietary needs might be, including restrictive diets for vegetarians and vegans The following is a list of notable people who practise (or practised) veganism. Entertainers
ve·gan n. and vegetarian friendly campus dining halls. (Other 2003 winners include Indiana U, Virginia Tech, Vassar, and Bowdoin.) Veggies Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethicalbum alternatives to mainstream fast food. everywhere. "Vegetarianism vegetarianism, theory and practice of eating only fruits and vegetables, thus excluding animal flesh, fish, or fowl and often butter, eggs, and milk. In a strict vegetarian, or vegan, diet (i.e. is not a fad; it's here to stay, although it will vary from campus to campus," says Cam Schauf, director of Auxiliary Services at Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College, at Bryn Mawr, Pa; undergraduate for women, graduate coeducational; opened 1885 by the Society of Friends, with a bequest from Joseph W. Taylor of Burlington, N.J. Modeled on a group curriculum plan at Johns Hopkins Univ. (PA), and past president of the National Association of College and University Food Service (www.nacufs.orq). "As a woman's college, our percentage of vegetarians is certainly higher than that at some of our neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. coed schools," he says, "but it's interesting to Learn how a student will define vegetarian. We'll survey our students and find that 40 percent will say they are vegetarians, but when you break that down, some just don't eat red meat, but will eat chicken or fish. We probably have a population of 25 percent who are true vegetarians (may consume eggs or dairy) and about 10 percent of that group are vegan (no animal products whatsoever)." Because the school has three dining halls for a relatively small 1,200-student population (about g5 percent of whom are residential) catering to the special needs of this group are not a problem, he says. "We can concentrate our vegan efforts in one particular hall, giving students day-in, day-out vegan variety. But students can eat in any of the three halls and get a satisfying vegan meal," he explains. Although some experts believe the spike in vegetarianism during college years is partly a young person's search for identity, schools take it seriously nonetheless. "I think many students make the choice to go vegetarian when they come to school and later decide it isn't for them," notes Mary Beth Stuart, director of Food Service at Aquinas College Aquinas College may refer to several institutions: In Australia
Jerry McVety, vice president of Business Development for food service provider HDS (Hitachi Data Systems, Santa Clara, CA, www.hds.com) A leading provider of high-end storage hardware, software and services. Part of the Information Systems & Telecommunications Division of Hitachi Ltd. Services (www.hdsservices.com), says his company deals with many campuses that have vegetarian and vegan requirements. "We try to satisfy the students in whatever their food and dietary needs might be," he says. "But, although vegetarian meals are now a distinct requirement in campus food service, I think it's one area that hasn't grown much recently, and is not necessarily reflective of venues outside the university environment." HAVE IT YOUR WAY What you see is what you get--flavor and interest. Perhaps the biggest trend in food service is the growth of display cooking. "The days of mystery meat are gone," says Schauf. "There's a huge emphasis on food being prepared in front of the customers, using fresh ingredients. This includes anything from ethnic foods to comfort foods--but with a twist: Instead of seeing "Mom's meatloaf' you may see a Cajun meatloaf using higher-level flavor profiles." There's also an increase in international cuisine that reflects a growing population of international students. "We are trying to do more of the culinary special items that are indicative of the countries from which they came," says McVety. "So we offer more Thai foods, more foods from the Pacific Rim Pacific Rim, term used to describe the nations bordering the Pacific Ocean and the island countries situated in it. In the post–World War II era, the Pacific Rim has become an increasingly important and interconnected economic region. , and so on. It helps us because it allows us to experiment with changes in implementation and variety, but it also satisfies the current student needs. It's a great thing for both sides, frankly." Portable prep. The whole idea of preparing foods to order in front of students has been a tremendous boost for both diners Diners can mean:
New diners. "We've also seen up to a 300 percent increase in cash business, and a 15 to 20 percent increase in the meals we serve at lunch and dinner," notes Royale. "People who wouldn't normally eat in a residential dining facility on campus--such as commuter students, faculty, and staff--are now seeing it as a wonderful, anything-you-want solution." SIDE DISHES Partnering for dollars. In fact, schools Looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. additional sources of revenue might take a cue from Fort Hays State University Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas. It is the fourth largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with an enrollment of approximately 9,500 students (8,250 undergraduate and 1,250 (KS) or Aquinas College--both of which have created comprehensive conference and catering operations. "It's actually a very aggressive program for the school," says McVety of HDS, which works with Aquinas. "Aquinas handles the conferencing aspect and we handle the catering. It's an interesting way to generate additional income on campus and fulfill the needs of the community simultaneously." Working with brands. Or, follow the lead of Baylor University Baylor University, mainly at Waco, Tex.; coeducational; chartered and opened 1845 by Baptists (see Baylor, Robert E. B.) at Independence, moved 1886 and absorbed Waco Univ. (chartered 1861). The library has a noted Robert Browning collection. (TX), which Last month opened Chili's Too at BU, an offshoot of the Chili's restaurant chain. Bay[or worked with Chili's parent company Brinker International (www.brinker.com) to not only introduce a dining concept that students would enjoy, but also one that fit the school's mission; says Assistant VP of Operations and Facilities Rick Creel. "Our Christian mission here at Baylor does not allow alcohol, so Brinker listened to our concerns, and it was never questioned. It's an alcohol-free Chili's Too and it's thriving," he says. The restaurant is decorated with items familiar to Baylor students, giving it a distinct Baylor neighborhood feel. The partnership is a win-win, Creel says, because not only is the school able to satisfy student needs, but Chili's is reaching a population that is at the point of developing brand loyalties that could last well beyond college years. Promote! Some schools are using food service as a promotional tool targeted at prospective students. "One way to make a student comfortable is when he comes for campus tours and orientations," notes Aramark's Saine. "Dining Services plays a huge role in showing people what they've got to took forward to. They do everything from taste tests for the parents to cooking competitions among the school's chefs." Local and peer schools get involved, too, he says. Duke University (NC) and the University of North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. recently faced off in a "cage match" cooking competition (complete with a WWE-style announcer) that had students standing on tables, cheering their home campus favorites, and booing the away team. Like the popular Iron Chef For the American version of this show, see Iron Chef America. Iron Chef is a Japanese television program produced by FujiTV. The original Japanese title is Ironmen of Cooking ( television program, the competition featured a surprise ingredient that the chefs had to incorporate in an improvised im·pro·vise v. im·pro·vised, im·pro·vis·ing, im·pro·vis·es v.tr. 1. To invent, compose, or perform with little or no preparation. 2. dish to meet the approval of a panel of judges Panel of Judges is an indie pop band from Melbourne, Australia. Members
FEEDING GENERATION Y Certainly, one reason food service has changed dramatically in recent years is not just that food service providers have gotten smarter, but that the customer has changed. Ten years ago, university administrators didn't believe that anything other than academics and reputation--and perhaps the physical attractiveness Physical attractiveness is the perception of the physical traits of an individual human person as pleasing or beautiful. It can include various implications, such as sexual attractiveness, cuteness, and physique. of campus--persuaded students to choose their school, says Saine at Aramark. "But students today want a campus environment that is crafted in ways that fit their chosen Lifestyle. Until recently, college campuses have not been as conscious of that as they needed to be. Now they're struggling to find ways to identify/the various aspects of the environment on campus as a way to attract students. And dining services that fit that Lifestyle do play a part." Food as determinant. Indeed, the quality of campus Life amenities Like food service can be a discriminating factor for students, agrees Sandy Matheson, president of Food Systems Consulting (www.foodsystems.com), which helps schools create strategic food service plans. "Not to overstate this--because obviously the caliber of the academic programs in a school is the key determinant--but when students are considering comparable options, the quality of food service is certainly an issue in terms of selecting a school." In the 1990s, campuses were populated pop·u·late tr.v. pop·u·lat·ed, pop·u·lat·ing, pop·u·lates 1. To supply with inhabitants, as by colonization; people. 2. with so-called Generation X students, driven by mass brands such as Nike, Levi-Strauss, Burger King, and McDonald's. But, say the experts, the emergence of Generation Y has brought with it a distinct aversion to mass branding. Instead, the new generation's loyalty tends to be with "boutique" brands that speak to individual lifestyle, says Saine. "College campuses and food service companies have had to rethink what we bring to the marketplace and how we communicate with students." Food for cause. In truth, social causes and political groups drive this younger generation as much as academics do, and the Generation Y-ors choose products and services that fit with that Lifestyle. Yale University's (CT) Sustainable Food Project, for example, builds on student support of local growers, which the dining program can't ignore. As a result, the school has developed a food program that is unique to the agriculture of the region and relies on a different source of supply than do most other schools. Likewise, fair-trade coffee is a social issue for students at many schools, including those at the University of Puget Sound The University of Puget Sound (often called UPS or just Puget Sound) is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States. (WA), Georgetown University Georgetown University, in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.; Jesuit; coeducational; founded 1789 by John Carroll, chartered 1815, inc. 1844. Its law and medical schools are noteworthy, and its archives are especially rich in letters and manuscripts by and (DC), and Juniata College Juniata College is a small private liberal arts college located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It is named after the Juniata River — one of the principal tributaries of the Susquehanna River. (PA). Many school administrations stand behind student efforts, although it means negotiating different purchasing agreements to get the products the students support. Local alternatives. Local and regional restaurants are also preferred by today's students who are Looking for alternatives to the non-varying fast-food offerings that can be found on any street corner in the country. "Some of the brands that are coming up," notes Food Systems' Matheson, "are not so much national brands as they are authentic ethnic concepts, such as Ackee ack·ee n. Variant of akee. Noun 1. ackee - red pear-shaped tropical fruit with poisonous seeds; flesh is poisonous when unripe or overripe akee Tree, a small Jamaican chain, which is quite successful. The notion of these credible regional ethnic brands is becoming very much an ingrained idea with college students." As for what's next in food service on campus, no one can be sure, but one thing is quite certain: After decades of "institutional food" on America's campuses, students--and their neighborhood and lifestyle demographics--are speaking Loudly. And food service providers are Listening. What's Cookin'? We asked our food-expert interviewees to identify upcoming and strengthening trends. Here's what they predict: * Flexibility will play a greater part in the facility design. As tastes continue to change, the pizza station of today is the something else of tomorrow. * Level of culinary training in kitchens will increase to reflect an influx of different flavors and foods coming in from around the world. * Interest in low- and no-fat meals, organic foods, and grains is growing. Students are avoiding animal fats. * More campus convenience stores The following is a list of convenience stores organized by geographical location. Stores are grouped by the lowest heading that contains all locales in which the brands have significant presence. will become "hybrid" operations. Instead of just "grab and go," campus convenience stores are now including foods prepared for students while they wait. * Convenience stores will offer partially prepared meals and other ingredients that apartment-dwelling students can purchase to prep back in their own kitchens. * Lifestyle menus will be mere critical, especially in light of obesity lawsuits and national concern over the American diet. * Organic foods will be a bigger player, with the utilization of local sustainable agriculture sustainable agriculture n. A method of agriculture that attempts to ensure the profitability of farms while preserving the environment. . Fresh fruit, salad, and smoothie smooth·ie also smooth·y n. pl. smooth·ies Slang 1. A person regarded as being assured and artfully ingratiating in manner. 2. A smooth-tongued person. bars are gaining interest on campus. * The dynamics of the meal plan will continue to change. Students, administration, and food service providers are adding flex dollars to plans that can be used in retail establishments other than the dining hall. They will be looking for even newer ways to package plans. * Dining hall design will change to create more comfortable dining areas with varying size tables--from sideboard seats and tables for one, to group setups--so students can have any number of options for meeting and eating among friends. * Food service outlets will be scattered across the campus, rather than expecting that one huge food court or emporium will satisfy every student's need. Food Service Resources You Should Know: A Sampler sampler, sample piece of needlework or embroidery, of silk, cotton, or worsted, for the preservation of some pattern or as an example of the ability of a child or a beginner. In museums and private collections there are samplers dating from as early as 1643. Aramark Service Master www.aramark.com Bon Apetit Food Service www.bamco.com Chartwells (A division of Compass Group The British company Compass Group LSE: CPG is one of the largest food service businesses in the world. It provides catering services to many types of institutions, for example schools, hospitals, companies and nursing homes. ) www.cgnad.com College Park Communities www.collegeparkweb.com Cornyn Fasano Group www.cornyn-fasano.com Duffy & Associates www.duffyandassociates.com Eatec www.eatec.com Food Systems Consulting www.foodsystems.com HDS Services www.hdsservices.com National Association of College and University Food Services www.nacufs.org Sodexho www.sodexhousa.com Whitsons Food Service www.whitsons.com |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion