University Foodservice - US - February 2012

SCOPE AND THEMES
What you need to know
Data sources
Mintel Menu Insights
Consumer survey data
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Managed service providers dominate university foodservice, yet self-managed providers hold their own
Enrollment on the rise
The bar is set high, and getting higher
Schools taking extra strides to appeal to students
Marketing strategies march to a different drummer
Weekdays and weekends blend together, with meals most often eaten at home
Student age and gender impact where meals are eaten
The need for venue variety is evident
Lighter fare is the most popular, with bottled water and coffee to drink
Competitive pricing will drive students but only if selection, location, and cuisines are in place
Despite the efforts, students still leery of campus dining
Off-campus dining spurred on by greater number of cuisine types
INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Students as “brand” ambassadors
Using QR tagging for on-site interaction
Convenience through better (and BFY) vending, expanded service hours, and technology
Meals and occasions beyond the all-you-care-to-eat model
Highlighting competitive pricing to attract more customers
Targeting nontraditional students
Helping students combat the “Freshman 15”
In lean times, creative metrics measurement
INSPIRE INSIGHTS
Trend: Access All Areas
Trend: Transumers
MARKET SIZE
Key points
Managed service providers hold the lion’s share of university foodservice
Figure 1: Food and drink sales at colleges and universities, by managed service and self-managed, 2011
MARKET DRIVERS
Key points
Improvements in university foodservice platforms creates snowball effect
Figure 2: Princeton Review “The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition,” Top Five Best Campus Food, by enrollment, type and dining service locations
Population growth overall points to increase in student populations
Figure 3: Population by age, 2006-16
Figure 4: Total fall enrollment in U.S. degree-granting institutions, by type of institution, 2001-11
Unemployment rates driving a return to higher education
Figure 5: Unemployment, January 2007-January 2012
Women and minorities enrollment trends changing the demands on university foodservice
Figure 6: Total fall enrollment in U.S. degree-granting institutions, by gender of student, 2001-11
Figure 7: Total fall enrollment in U.S. degree-granting institutions, by race/Hispanic origin of student, 2001-11
Delays in marriage and childbirth leave more time for schooling
Figure 8: Percent of population 15+ who are married, 1960-2010
Figure 9: U.S. birth rate, 2003-11
INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS
Key points
Dietary restrictions
A healthier student body
Going green (or getting greener)
Figure 10: Green or sustainable product purchase frequency, by age, May-June 2010
Food trucks
BRAND ANALYSIS
 OVERVIEW
University of Florida
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Cornell
Michigan State University
 MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDERS
Aramark
Positioning
Research services
Residential restaurants
Food courts and snack bars
Convenience retailing
Sodexo Inc.
Positioning
Residential dining driven by Student Board of Directors
National, proprietary and corporate brands
Compass Group North America’s Chartwells
Positioning
MARKETING STRATEGIES
 OVERVIEW
Successful marketing campaigns embrace the “experience” of campus food and dining
Cookie-cutter marketing, self-service models ineffective
Technology Fuels Student Life, Drives Marketing and Communications
Social media efforts
STUDENT MEALTIME USE
Key points
Weekday dining habits—Breakfast and snacks hold the greatest opportunity for growth
Figure 11: Weekday dining habits, November 2011
Weekend dining habits—late-night snacking more evident
Figure 12: Weekend dining habits, November 2011
WHERE COLLEGE STUDENT DINING OCCURS
Key points
Home, sweet (and savory) home
Figure 13: Where college student weekday dining occurs, November 2011
Figure 14: Where college student dining occurs during weekday breakfast, by age, November 2011
Figure 15: Where college student dining occurs during weekday mid-morning snacks, by gender, November 2011
Figure 16: Where college student dining occurs during weekday mid-morning snacks, by age, November 2011
Figure 17: Where college student dining occurs during weekday lunch, by gender, November 2011
Figure 18: Where college student dining occurs during weekday lunch, by age, November 2011
Figure 19: Where college student dining occurs during weekday afternoon snack, by gender, November 2011
Figure 20: Where college student dining occurs during weekday afternoon snack, by age, November 2011
Figure 21: Where college student dining occurs during weekday dinner, by gender, November 2011
Figure 22: Where college student dining occurs during weekday dinner, by age, November 2011
Figure 23: Where college student dining occurs during weekday evening/late-night snack, by gender, November 2011
Figure 24: Where college student dining occurs during weekday evening/late-night snack, by age, November 2011
ON-CAMPUS DINING
Key points
On-campus venue variety a key to success
Figure 25: Where college student weekday dining occurs, on-campus dining, by gender, November 2011
Figure 26: Where college student weekday dining occurs, on-campus dining, by age, November 2011
OFF-CAMPUS DINING
Key points
QSRs pull students off-campus
Figure 27: Where college student weekday dining occurs, off-campus dining, by gender, November 2011
Figure 28: Where college student weekday dining occurs, off-campus dining, by age, November 2011
MOST POPULAR FOOD OPTIONS FOR ON-CAMPUS DINING
Key points
Lighter meals hold the greatest appeal
Figure 29: Most popular food options for on-campus dining, by gender, November 2011
Figure 30: Most popular food options for on-campus dining, by age, November 2011
MOST POPULAR BEVERAGE OPTIONS ON-CAMPUS
Key points
Bottled water and coffee use calls for sustainability “intervention”
Figure 31: Most popular beverage options for on-campus dining, by gender, November 2011
Figure 32: Most popular beverage options for on-campus dining, by age, November 2011
TOP RESTAURANT ATTRIBUTES
Key points
Competitive pricing required to keep students on campus
Figure 33: Top restaurant attributes, by gender, November 2011
Figure 34: Top restaurant attributes, by age, November 2011
ATTITUDES TOWARD DINING OUT
Key points
A majority of students are spending outside of their meal plans
Figure 35: Attitudes toward dining out, by gender, November 2011
Figure 36: Attitudes toward dining out, by age, November 2011
ATTITUDES TOWARD DINING ON CAMPUS
Key points
Perceptions and appeal of campus food keeping customers at bay
Figure 37: Attitudes toward dining on campus, by gender, November 2011
Figure 38: Attitudes toward dining out, by age, November 2011
TOP CUISINE TYPES
Key points
Students dining off campus order greater variety
Figure 39: Top cuisine types, November 2011
Figure 40: Top cuisine types, on-campus, by gender, November 2011
Figure 41: Top cuisine types, on-campus, by age, November 2011
Figure 42: Top cuisine types, off-campus, by gender, November 2011
Figure 43: Top cuisine types, off-campus, by age, November 2011
APPENDIX: TRADE ASSOCIATIONS