Chartwells lets the children lead on its new Web site

Nation's Restaurant News, June 9, 1997 by Paul King

For many contract management firms, the World Wide Web is seen as yet another tool for attracting new business.

As such, the Web sites for such companies as Aramak, Marriott and Sodexho are designed with potential clients and employees in mind. They feature details about the various market sigments in which they are involved, news releases on new programs and recognition they've received, and job postings for chefs and managers.

The design their Web sites, the companies either work with information services people within the company or contract out the job to a firm that specializes in this field. All of that makes the endeavor at Compass Group USA unique in contract foodservice. A portion of its Web site currently under construction, for the Chartwells K-12 education division, is being designed for -- and by -- the end users of Chartwell's services: elementary- and secondary-school students.

Compass Group, based in Charlotte, N.C. has pulled together 40 children, ages 8 to 17, as a market research team" to guide Compass is designing the sire. Visitors to the site can now see photos of the participating children and read short profiles about them, in which they answer such questions as where they surf the Internet, what their career goals are, what their favorite foods are and what their favorite restaurants are.

They certainly are an eclectic group, as a check of their career objectives revealed. Catherine, 8, wants to be a scientist, while Patrick, 16, has hopes of joining the National Basketball Association.

Jennifer, the oldest at 17, sees her profession as physical therapist, but Ashley, at age 8, has dreams of being a cheerleader.

Their restaurant choices also fall across the spectrum. Several students prefer McDonald's and Pizza Hut, but quite a few prefer slightly more upscale eateries; The Olive Garden, Red Lobster Applebee's and Chinese restaurants were among the selections.

"Their assignment is to translate the values and mission of Chartwells to other students," noted a statement from a Chartwell's spokesman. "To provide a Web site that will be informative, interesting and fun for students, we also asked them such questions as why they thought it is important to have a site on the Web, what they would put on it, how frequently should the information on the page change, and how the site could be promoted to other students."

Although we have no idea yet what will appear on this site, it would seem that this Web page will consist of educational information, games and quizzes, trivia and other fun materials. Students should enjoy the site, particularly because their peers are designing it. But is this any way for foodservice contractor to sell business?

Of course it is.

Compass Group has stolen a page right out of the market manuals of virtually every cereal, snack and toy company on the planet. Anyone with children knows that the great majority of ads for products made by these companies are geared not toward adults but toward children. Manufacturing go after the end-users in the hope that they will convince their parents to buy the items being advertised.

It is time-tested, and it works.

The Chartwells Web page easily could become like a billboard at a sports stadium or the sponsors of a special event. You attend the event but you can't help noticing -- and being influenced by -- the ads and the sponsors.

If Compass Group can make its page attractive, informative and user-friendly enough, students and their teachers will find themselves drawn to the site time and again. Each visit will remind these customers that Compass Group, through its Chartwells divisions, is a provider of foodservice to the elementary- and secondary-school market. At a time when more and more school districts are considering outsourcing their foodservice programs, Compass Group couldn't have better timing for its entry into the Internet market.

It's smart, and it's savvy. Will it work?

Stay tuned.