Gator Dining Survey Project AEB 4309 Dr. Allen F. Wysocki

Team Albertson’s Members  Jose Miguel Garcia  Bennett Curry  Matthew Potochnik

Primary Goals?  First and Foremost - Information, Information, Information - Our goal was to gather as much information from students at the University of Florida in regards to their dining, eating, and service experience here on campus. - Surveyed to learn what students, like and dislike, all information was necessary as it would be used by Gator Dining Services in order to improve itself and be better for its students.

The Process  Step 1  At the onset of the project the first thing accomplished by the group was the distribution of the work. This was done fairly easily as we each we assigned to gather at least 17 surveys. This way each member had equal work

Steps cont.  Step 2  Analyze the Students. Knowing that Gator Dining recommended us to survey students at Little Hall Express and the Hub it was up to us to decide at what time we would gather responses.

Steps cont.  Step 2 cont.  The first time block was set up for 8:20a.m. to 9:40a.m. This was intended to study those who eat breakfast. The two main studies gave us feedback on Einstein Bagels in the Hub and about the snacks and drinks at Little Hall.

Steps cont.  Step 2 cont.  The second time block was from noon to 1:30, lunchtime. Also known as peak time. This is when the most number of students are at these two locations so it was important to get answers from students who regularly dine on campus. The Hub features Quizno’s and Chik- fil-A while Little Hall Express offers the new KFC and the traditional Boar’s Head sandwich shop.

Steps cont.  Step 2  The last time block was set up from 3:30p.m. to 5:00p.m. This block was agreed upon so that information could be gathered for those who eat late lunches, just want a quick in between day snack, or sometimes an early dinner.

Steps cont.  Step 3  Go out and survey!!!

Challenges that were Presented  First – The ability to approach people  Second – The looks on student’s faces  Third – The length of the Survey  Fourth – Lack of PDA’s  Fifth – Students lack of understanding (answering questions properly)

Findings – 365 Surveys  Gender  Male – 211  Female – 150  Prefer Not to Answer – 4  Housing  Live on Campus – 76  43 Male  33 Female  Live off Campus – 290  177 Male  113 Female  Status

Findings – How Much do They Spend?  Average Lunch Expenditure  The majority of students surveyed spent between $4.00 and $7.00 on lunch.  The majority also spends between 4 and 7 days on campus

Findings - Most Frequented Locations on Campus  Engineering -1  HPNP – 1  Cancer/Genetics – 1  Law – 1  Southwest Rec – 2  Health Science Center - 3  Graham Oasis – 3  Star Bucks at Library West – 4  BK at Broward - 8  Fresh Food Company at Broward – 10  Racquet Club – 19  Gator Corner Dining Center – 22  Little Hall – 33  The Hub – 118  Reitz Union - 134

Findings – What Students Think  On a scale of 1 to 7 with 1 being Poor and 7 being Excellent  Overall Experience – 4.93  Food Quality/Variety – 4.75  Purchasing Experience – 4.45  Price/Value – 4.16  Dining Facilities/Operation – 4.90  Availability of Healthy Options/Information – 4.06

Findings – What Do They Prefer Off Campus?  Favorite Locations Preferred Off Campus  Convenience Store – 3  Grocery Store – 6  Family Style – 17  Fine Dining - 27  Fast-food – 56  Casual Dining – 100  Fast-Casual – 152*  Locations Most Visited Off Campus  Convenience Store -2  Fine Dining – 2  Grocery – 8  Family Style – 25  Casual Dining – 35  Fast Food – 99  Fast Casual – 191*

Findings - Changes  When asked what they would change respondents listed the following most often:  Better Food Quality and Variety  Healthier Options  Quicker Service  Especially shorter lines  Less Expensive/Better Value  Accept Credit/Debit Cards

Methodology  A handheld electronic PDA with predetermined questions set up by Gator Dining Services  With the time slots in place, and PDA’s in hand it was time to hit our locations.

What Worked Well  Having set time blocks aided in the amount of people available to survey and the useful information gathered.  The PDA’s, despite the amount of questions.  The complimentary soda cards

Implications and Conclusions  The overall dining experience was rated slightly above average – 4.93  Overall Experience could be higher by focusing on increasing value through the availability of healthier options and an enhanced purchase experience.  Student dining on campus is designed and marketed for convenience. When convenience is not the driving factor they dine off campus.  Student dining on campus could be increased with more restaurants in the Fast-Casual or Casual Dining segment.

What we learned as a Team/Individuals  The majority of students dislike being bothered or approached when on campus especially for the purpose of conducting a survey.  Students prefer a convenient but at the same time, casual dining experience with value.  Students like being in busy areas. This is why The Hub and The Reitz Union are the most frequently visited locations on campus.

What we would do Differently  Nothing in terms of how we gathered the information  Conducted more surveys so that a larger data base could be analyzed and studied  Have less questions on the survey  More Specific questions (Skewed data)

Recommendations for Gator Dining  Lower prices and better food quality at the on campus dining locations.  Increase the availability of nutritious offerings for health conscious consumers.  The addition of a Fast-Casual or Casual Dining Restaurant on campus. (And Orange and Brew satisfies neither of these two).  Improve the quality of customer service.  The acceptance of credit cards and debit cards at the dining locations.

The End Any Questions?