Operations
Non-commercial operations not planning new dining locations
For most non-commercial operators, new dining locations are not in the works. Sixty-seven percent of respondents to The Big Picture research say they have no new dining location planned.
Operations
Finding time for training difficult, operators say
Finding time to offer training was unanimously ranked as the most difficult aspect of providing training opportunities for staff. Getting money for training was the most difficult for those in the educational sector, while motivating staff to take advantage of instructional opportunities was the most challenging in LTC/senior living facilities.
College operators are significantly more likely than other market segments to use social media to connect with their customers, according to The Big Picture data. Seventy-five percent use Facebook, and 38% say they employ Twitter. FSD spoke to marketing managers for dining services at two universities to find out about their social media strategies.
The retail sales outlook for the year to come is positive, according to the majority of operators surveyed for FARE’s State of Foodservice at Retail, which included those in the colleges and healthcare segments. Even the challenges that lie ahead signify long-term opportunities to improve the overall quality and competitiveness of retail dining.
Operators don’t agree when it comes to incentivizing healthful selections. Forty-four percent of B&I operators offer some kind of healthy-option incentive, which is significantly higher than all other segments and almost 20 percentage points higher than the next closest segment, hospitals with 25%. College operators (38%), however, don’t feel it’s necessary to incentivize healthful purchasing. The reason: choice.