The firm developed the report to help college and university dining programs, off-campus operators and suppliers tap [image-nocss] into the important student market.
Other interesting findings include:
Two-fifths of students (39%) participate in a college or university food plan. This includes 17% of all students who live off campus. On average, 43% of student meals are purchased from on-campus dining facilities (29%) or campus retail locations (14%). The remaining 57% are purchased at off-campus restaurants or retail stores. The majority of students (71%) dine on-campus at least once a week, most frequently in cafeterias and dining halls, with 29% saying they eat in a college foodservice facility at least once a day. Three out of five students (60%) patronize off-campus restaurants at least once a week, favoring fast-food and fast-casual restaurants and coffee shops. About 25% of students are vegetarians or vegans who want meatless options. A fifth of students (20%) say gluten-free and kosher (19%) meal choices are very important.
(Click the chart to view larger version.)
Many colleges and universities are replacing conventional dining facilities with retail-style food courts that feature spacious venues, customizable entrees and globally inspired food options."Today's students have come of age in a time of nontraditional dining venues that offer ethnic cuisines, healthy food choices, comfortable seating and free WiFi. Students now expect colleges and universities to reflect their retail preferences," said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic. "Foodservice operators can build incremental sales by updating the campus dining experience to include a variety of creative and healthy menu options, modern decor and connectivity."
Chicago-based Technomic provides clients throughout North America with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include numerous publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry.
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