Convenience, Cost Drive College Students' Dining Choices

CHICAGO - A new report by food service consultant and research firm Technomic finds what many intuitively know, that college students choose dining on campus versus off largely out of two drivers, convenience and cost. 65% of college students who were surveyed cite convenience for using on-campus foodservice. 43 percent said better value motivated them to buy foodservices off campus, while 38 percent said a better variety of foods did. But the study also profiles cutting-edge dining programs at leading universities.

Other findings in the study show:

• On average, 43 percent of student meals are purchased from on-campus dining facilities (29 percent) or campus retail locations (14 percent). The remaining 57 percent are purchased at off-campus restaurants or retail stores.
• The majority of students (71 percent) dine on-campus at least once a week, most frequently in cafeterias and dining halls, with 29 percent saying they eat in a college foodservice facility at least once a day. Three out of five students (60 percent) patronize off-campus restaurants at least once a week, favoring fast-food and fast-casual restaurants and coffee shops.
• About 25 percent of students are vegetarians or vegans who want meatless options. A fifth of students (20 percent) say gluten-free and kosher (19 percent) meal choices are very important.

“Today’s students have come of age in a time of nontraditional dining venues that offer ethnic cuisines, healthy food choices, comfortable seating and free WiFi. Students now expect colleges and universities to reflect their retail preferences,” says Darren Tristano, EVP at Technomic. “Foodservice operators can build incremental sales by updating the campus dining experience to include a variety of creative and healthy menu options, modern décor and connectivity.”

The study, College & University Consumer Trend Report (pdf, brochure), gathered data in a May 2009 survey of over 1,500 full-time U.S. students.