Revenue Boosters for K12 Foodservice
College and university campuses are often spread over several acres in multiple collections of buildings. Students are typically in a hurry to get from one class to another, and the thought of having to waste precious time hunting down a quick bite or snack can be the difference between making it on time or being late.
For college and university foodservice directors, this presents an opportunity to be more profitable by considering a few important points. Knowing the characteristics of today’s college student combined with the current state of foodservice reveals three important ways that directors can boost foodservice revenue.
SERVE POPULAR FOODS & BEVERAGES
To start, C&U directors need to serve items students want to buy. This is a no-brainer. Either those popular food and beverage options are available on campus, or students will go off-campus to find them.
On the food side, popular culinary trends should be considered, as well as ethnic foods that speak to a wider range of students. Foods that are quick and easy to purchase and consume are also important, as college students rarely have time to sit and indulge for hours on end. For beverages, coffee kiosks can always be a profitable option. According to the National Library of Medicine, 92 percent of college students drink coffee, so C&U directors might as well make it easy for students to buy.
MAKE USE OF UNUSED SPACES
Because college and university campuses are often so large and spread out, that means there are typically underused spaces that can become profitable with just a little imagination and the right food serving equipment.
Consider creating or moving a point of service from one part of campus to another to maximize the potential of unused spaces. Areas to consider are spacious halls or corridors, outside walkways, around or near athletic centers, or outside of auditoriums. By looking at these spaces as points of sale and profit centers, directors can significantly increase revenue in areas of campus that are otherwise unused.
MAXIMIZE THE POWER OF LABOR
As we’re seeing across the foodservice industry, whether it’s on a college campus or even a fine dining restaurant, labor is a significant challenge for foodservice directors and operators. There’s a clear movement toward technologically driven foodservice complete with automation and streamlined processes. As it relates to food and beverage kiosks and serving areas on a college campus, it’s important to ensure those serving stations are easy to use, easy to clean, reliable, durable, and require the smallest amount of labor possible.
From grab-n-go food stations to coffee kiosks, Lakeside provides a full range of mobile foodservice solutions that create points of sale that are durable, reliable, and easy to operate. We invite you to explore our C&U foodservice solutions today.