CHICAGO—There are nearly 16 million hungry U.S. college and university students wielding more than $300 billion in spending power; however, only 28% are satisfied with the healthy foodservice offerings at their schools, according to new market data from Technomic. The findings suggest significant opportunities for foodservice suppliers and operators to grow revenues by appealing to the campus crowd.
According to its “College and University Consumer Trend Report," 44% of college students surveyed said their school’s dining program influenced their choice of school, yet only 32% said their school does a good job of making sure students are pleased with the overall dining program.
Other key findings include 47% of the students said it is important that they can omit or substitute ingredients in their food compared to 43% of those polled in 2009. More than 20% of students limit their consumption of meat by following a vegetarian or vegan diet, eating only certain types of meat, or eating meat only occasionally; and 48% would like more on-campus dining facilities to stay open later at night.
“Despite the fact that 62% of students surveyed say they eat at on-campus dining facilities at least weekly, only 28% of students are satisfied with the healthy offerings at their school, and only 34% express overall satisfaction with their school’s dining facilities," said Sara Monnette, director of Consumer Research at Technomic. “Operators on and off campus could attract more students and increase the frequency of visits by refining their menus based on students' desires."
The report provides consumer insights from a representative sample of 1,500 American students, menu, concept, and marketing trends relating to foodservice at colleges and universities, as well as profiles of leading and innovative college dining programs, and the top privately-branded foodservice concepts at colleges.
