According to The Big Picture research, 71% of operators have an employee wellness program and a great majority of them say they believe the wellness programs are working. Offering everything from nutrition guidance to smoking cessation classes and even sleep-well clinics, such programs are geared toward stemming rising healthcare costs.
Fifty-two percent of operators aren’t familiar with the term “stealth health,” according to research from The Big Picture. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t practicing it in their operations.
College operators think their customers want a jolt, with 35% of operators reporting that energy drinks will grow and 33% saying specialty coffee will. Tea is also predicted to be a growing category because of its health benefits; 20% of university operat
For all the press about schools starting gardens on their campuses, very few schools actually have an on-site garden/farm and even fewer foodservice departments are responsible for such plots.
Operators say bottled water is the beverage category that has the highest growth potential in the next two years, with 22% of respondents to The Big Picture research pegging this category to increase in sales.
When it comes to offering sandwiches in their retail locations, operators are most likely to offer them as a made-to-order option. Only one operator—from a college or university—said sandwiches were not an option at retail locations.
