Right at home: the latest trends in campus dining mirror the retail world

University Business, March, 2006 by Caryn Meyers Fliegler

THERE'S A CONCEPT THAT SOME BIG RETAIL purveyors have mastered in spades: Making people feel as if they are sitting in someone's house, all the while holding store-bought cups of coffee, books, or paninis. Even as the world grows more complicated, so the thinking goes, a big couch, custom-ordered food, and a crackling fireplace can help keep us centered.

Like the retail world, institutions of higher education are Striving to forge stronger on-campus communities and decrease stress in student life: With lofty goals and no absence of rankings-related pressure, IHE leaders are increasingly attracted to the model of the customer-centric and carefully manufactured "home away from home."

Just as homeowners focus on their kitchens (and bath' rooms) in the quest for modernization, IHEs are looking to their dining halls for renewal, transforming them into Spaces that hit key retail notes with hospitable service (hello, hostess!) and comforting spaces (diner, anyone?).

Schools have been adding retail establishments such as Starbucks and food-court staples like Chick-fil-A for years, but this new movement is transforming all dining halls, including those operated by the university or an outsourced company, into establishments that resemble off-campus eateries.

Step onto the campus of the University of North Carolina to get a feel for the changing dining scene--a two-story sports caf6 outfitted with dozens of jumbo plasma TVs beckons. Or take a ride to Marywood University in Scranton, Pa., where students pick baked goods from a pantry while a chef (standing in for Mom) makes pancakes on the stovetop. The University of Alabama will soon unveil a new themed diner outfitted with stainless-steel trimmings and signage to celebrate its revered sports teams.

While it can be pricey to reinvigorate campus dining (e.g., UNC just channeled $22 million into a new dining center), the process can pay back. According to H. David Porter, CEO of Porter Consulting, a food-service management consulting and design firm specializing in the college and university market, campus food service ranks high behind academics and location as a factor influencing students and parents choosing a college. Aramark Campus Services research shows that students spend upward of $3,800 per year on food.

Yet this movement to bring a restaurant feel to residential dining "is not entirely for financial reasons," notes John Cornyn, principal with The Cornyn Fasano Group, a food management consulting firm in Portland, Ore. "In many cases it's the campus administration saying we have a tough time getting our kids to communicate with each other. It sounds trite, but it's the whole situation of everyone instant messaging and doing other things, and we're looking at ways to encourage socialization."

TODAY'S CUSTOMER

The evolution toward more retail-type offerings has arisen in response to a student population that grew up with fast meals and restaurant dinners, says Cornyn. Describing the preferences of Generation Y and the younger set, he jokes: "How do you know when it's time for dinner? When you hear the car start."

Today's young adults have grown up with Starbucks and other companies that make food a community experience, notes Naala Royale, vice president of Marketing for Aramark Campus Services. "It's very much influenced by what's happening in the retail world, the experiences that students get while they're in high school." She adds: "Students are so much more sophisticated about their dining choices today. Most students have at least one credit card by the time they are freshmen. They are shopping online, eating at casual theme restaurants much more often. Dining out is much more prevalent now."

The days of the dining hall as a bit of an afterthought have faded. Food-centered IHEs are now the norm. "You can show somebody a classroom or a chemistry lab," says Cornyn. "But residence halls, food service--those are things that are very visual and tactile in terms of saying, 'Wow, the students mean something here.'"

ALL TOGETHER NOW

The new building at The University of Alabama is going to be big (40,000 square feet) and it's going to take a big chunk of change to complete (an estimated $12 million). Rather than give students another mammoth dining hall, though, officials are creating a place for customized meals, flexible schedules, and campus community.

The center, set to open in August, will offer 'Bama's students a sports-themed diner, a grab-and-go coffee shop, a convenience store, and an all-you-care-to-eat area with food stations. Gina Johnson, associate vice president for Auxiliary Services at the university, believes the new center will give campus constituencies more choices and a sense of variety--not just a luxury but a necessity for Generation Next.

While food improvements are always of consideration to The University of Alabama, the school has zeroed in on its offerings since it implemented a dining requirement for all undergraduates; it now automatically charges their accounts with at least $300 in Dining Dollars per semester. Starting this fall, the university will also implement a new residency program for all freshmen (currently only about 85 percent of first-year students live on campus). The freshman residency program grew out of the hopes of President Robert Witt, who sees the university's community spirit as crucial to attracting the best and brightest from around the world.