As foodservice management advisory consultants, we understand that providing an exceptional dining experience for university students is crucial to their overall satisfaction and well-being. Keeping up with the latest trends in meal plans is essential for universities to create an inviting and engaging campus dining atmosphere. In recent years, we’ve noticed a drastic shift in student dining patterns which have led to us assessing meal plans for many dining programs across the country. In this blog, we will explore the top trends in university meal plans and provide tips for universities to adapt and prepare for meal plan modeling.
Trend 1: Customization
Today's students expect a personalized dining experience that caters to their unique tastes and dietary needs. Universities can offer customizable menu options, such as build-your-own salad bars and made-to-order sandwiches, to accommodate diverse preferences. Additionally, students are looking for ways to customize their meal plans based on factors like their lifestyle, residence, preferred meals per week, and dietary requirements. This creates opportunities for creative meal plan combinations, such as more swipes with fewer dollars or fewer swipes with more dollars.
Trend 2: Convenience
The concept of convenience during mealtimes has evolved over the years. Meal plans are no longer just about eliminating the need to cook, grocery shop, and clean up after meals. Students now seek flexibility and accessibility in their meal plans. They want the option to use their meal plans at various locations on campus, including all-you-care-to-eat dining halls and retail outlets, without paying extra. This convenience allows them to enjoy meals while juggling classes, assignments, and extracurricular activities.
Trend 3: Affordability
Dining leadership knows that affordability is a key concern for college students, and it extends to their dining experiences. Universities face pressure to balance cost reduction, revenue generation, and a sustainable financial model with affordability and value for on-campus dining services. Students want assurances that their basic food and nutritional needs are met and that they won't run out of meals or dining dollars before the end of the semester.
Trend 4: Dining Capacity
Understanding the current dining location capacity and the impact of new meal plans is crucial for effective planning. Meal plans play a significant role in dining patterns, particularly among on-campus resident students. It's important to address seating availability, labor resources, and potential lines during peak hours to ensure a seamless dining experience. A "perfect" meal plan can quickly lose its appeal if students encounter seemingly unending lines and inadequate seating options.
When it comes to meal plans, customers value a balance between simplicity, price, convenience, food quality, variety, number of locations, hours of operation, and transparency. However, dining services face additional considerations. In addition to ensuring a positive customer experience, meal plans should also support the overall campus life experience, maintain financial sustainability, integrate with technology, manage dining capacity effectively, and be easy to communicate.
Tips for Universities to Adapt and Prepare for Meal Plan Modeling
How can university dining administration be proactive in meeting the changing needs and expectations of students? By following these steps, we can effectively prepare for the future of meal plans:
Conduct a thorough review of your current meal plan offerings and identify areas for improvement or alignment with emerging trends.
Gather feedback from current students through surveys, focus groups, and social media to gain insights into their dining and meal plan preferences and expectations.
Develop guiding principles for new meal plans that align with student lifestyles and drive desired behavior.
Model future meal plans based on the guiding principles, research, capacity, and potential revenue.
Create a comprehensive marketing strategy to showcase revamped meal plan offerings, communicate with on-campus stakeholders, and attract prospective students.
By staying informed about the latest trends in university meal plans and making strategic changes, universities can create a memorable and satisfying dining experience for their students, setting the stage for a successful academic year.
What’s Next? Embrace the latest meal plan trends students are craving with Envision Strategies. Our expert team can help you plan meal programs that maintain operational success at every level. Contact us today to see how we can assist!
Envision360 is a subscription-based program that provides the custom tools and resources you need to measure and self-monitor your Dining Services program. If you want to learn how e360 can help optimize and improve your program, visit env360.net, email support@env360.net or call us at 720.458.6480.
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