Chicago / IL. (tni) Technomic´s latest report on the college and university segment shows that 69 percent of students are purchasing food and beverage from on-campus foodservice facilities once a week or more often, representing a near-return to 2009 on-campus patronage levels (71 percent) following a dip to just 62 percent of students polled in 2011. «To keep the momentum going, campus dining operators will want to continually focus on improvements to menu variety, prices and atmosphere at on-campus dining venues», says Darren Tristano, Executive Vice President of Technomic. «Menu variety in particular is key to retaining student patronage. Our year-over-year data indicates there´s more demand for college and university foodservice menus that feature unique items, ethnic offerings and customization opportunities. Dining programs should work to address these preferences in order to keep valuable foodservice dollars on campus». To help foodservice executives understand the latest consumer behaviours, preferences and attitudes regarding college and university foodservice, Technomic has released a comprehensive update of its «College + University Consumer Trend Report». Key findings include:
- Just 35 percent of students overall say they are satisfied with their school´s dining program.
- Forty-four percent of students surveyed—and more than half of on-campus residents (57 percent) wish their school had grocery stores where they could shop using their meal plan.
- Two out of three students (66 percent) regularly explore new types of foods and flavours—up from 59 percent of students who said the same in 2011.
- Half of students place high importance on the ability to substitute (53 percent) or add (50 percent) ingredients themselves.
Technomic´s «College + University Consumer Trend Report» provides comprehensive research on the latest menu and consumer trends surrounding on-campus foodservice, organized into four major sections: «Menu Insights», «Consumer Insights», «Outlook: Trends to Watch», «Leading University Foodservice Profiles».
