According to the Browning Group, the following are the key findings to De Anza’s food service report:
Female students need improved service
“As far as diet, all there is, is salad,” student Annette Shussett said.
They spend the least amount for on-campus food and beverages. They don’t use fast food as the alternative to on-campus eating. Among the casual dining venues, Fresh Choice is their only stated preference.
Food preparation, nutritional information choice, decor, and offering what they want when they want it.
They have a stated preference for sandwich/deli, salad bar, smoothies/juicebar, pizza, Italian and Mexican formats.
Asian students least satisfied with food quality; they go off campus
Asian student “Very Dissatisfied” ratings on food related questions were consistent, not only in the context of comparing on-campus with off-campus, but in measuring overall satisfaction levels as well.
Additionally, “Quick Service/No waiting,” a highly rated fast food attribute for these students, was rated significantly lower for the on-campus provision of this dimension.
Three remote venues (Falafel, BBQ, and Outside Espresso) don’t meet student needs
The majority of students do not use them more than one time per week. There is no repeat use during an average day.
Competition with off-campus service
“For the longest time, I hated the food here, even the French fries,” said Shazib Hassan. Approximately, 40 percent of all weekly meal occasions occur off-campus with students using both fast food and casual dining venues to meet their needs.
During a typical week, students drive to a fast food outlet nearly two times per week. Similarly, they also go to a casual dining facility an average of 1.75 times per week.
Frequently off campus fast food use is higher among male students who are not employed and significantly lower among female students and whites.
Frequently, of off-campus “casual” dining is significantly higher among the Asian student population.
However, greater attention to offering students what they want (convenience and good tasting food) could result in substantial revenue improvements.