Editors’ Note: A new section inspired by the general session of the same name at the annual FARE conference, Trend TranslationsTM takes bigger industry trends and translates them into actionable ideas for foodservice at retail.
OAK BROOK, Ill. -- In 1989, contract foodservice provider Sodexo surveyed students about what foods excited them. Chicken nuggets, fruit and cottage cheese plates, chicken chop suey and chili, students answered. A similar survey was released this year, and the answers were markedly different: fattoush and sumac, couscous chicken stew, orecchiette with broccoli and garbanzo beans, and wild mushroom risotto balls with pesto aioli.
Today’s college-aged consumers have very different expectations when it comes to food, and it’s changing the way schools serve them. What was once a dark spot for many schools, dining services is now used as a point of pride when recruiting new students.
“I’m not going to say it’s the only reason I came here, but food is important, it really is,” said one Virginia Tech student.
Interesting, no doubt. And probably of no surprise to any campus foodservice directors reading this. But there’s also a bigger-picture implication here. What companies will be prepared to meet these consumers’ expectations as they graduate and (hopefully) gain some disposable income?
A recent article in the Washington Post showcased 251 North, “one of the hottest new eateries in the region.” It’s not in any tony neighborhood; it’s at the University of Maryland. Menu options include pho-style brisket, fire-grilled salmon, Pacific Rim noodles and deconstructed cannoli.
And the UMD isn’t an anomaly. This summer, Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., repurposed an old volleyball court to grow some of the cafeteria’s herbs and vegetables, which are infused into entrees with other ingredients from local farms. American University features curried seitan and vegetable ragout with polenta. Virginia Tech offers prime beef and lobster by the ounce in a steakhouse setting. The foodservice offerings at Virgina Tech are so popular, the school is experiencing more off-campus students on meal plans than those who live on campus.
And, according to the report, fancier foods haven’t inflated tuition costs--at least not at these schools.
The reason for such changes is a cultural one. These students have grown up in a society where chefs are celebrities. Further, environmental issues, which are always a priority for college students, encompass many food-centric topics such as eating local and organic.
“These students are more educated about food than any other students before them,” Ted Faulkner, senior associate director of dining services at Virginia Tech, told the Washington Post. “It is a challenge to keep up with them. They know what they want in food, and they expect that it will be offered to them in interesting ways.”
While higher-quality and more eclectic foods are becoming the norm on college campuses, students still want the classic college comfort foods as well. Major QSR brands are still moving plenty of trays of burgers and fries, and c-stores still rely on chips and candy.
Trend Translations
College students serve as a crystal ball to future demographics--ones that are quite different from any we’ve seen before. For foodservice pros outside the college and university channel, this requires a homework assignment.
- Seek out research on college students: what they want to eat, what helps them become loyal to a brand, what their priorities are.
- Tour local campuses and scope out their foodservice offerings.
- Read college & university foodservice trade publications (such as Fare magazine and FoodService Director).
- Seek out college students in your life--your own children, a friend or co-worker’s children, grandchildren--to better understand their eating behaviors.
Following are some further insights on college students’ foodservice preferences, from Chicago-based Technomic:
- Customization is an increasingly critical issue for college diners: nearly half of students polled (47%) compared to just 43% of those polled in 2009 said it is important that they can omit or substitute ingredients in their food.
- Twenty-one percent of students limit their consumption of meat by sticking to a vegetarian or vegan diet, eating only certain types of meat, or eating meat only occasionally.
- Forty-eight percent of students strongly agree that they would like more on-campus dining facilities to stay open later at night.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.