Food services master plan survey under way

11:50 a.m., Oct. 8, 2003--Are students, faculty and staff getting the kind of dining options they need, when and where they need it?

Those are the questions the University and Aramark, its dining management partner, want answered, so, through the fall semester, the University, Dining Services and Aramark are working together to complete a food service master plan by the end of the year.

The road to the master plan is a process called MarketMATCH. MarketMATCH is a student-centric campus analysis that takes a comprehensive look at the campus’ dining habits—when and where people eat, what they like and what is missing. Through MarketMATCH, Aramark will learn how to address those missing pieces and develop a strategic plan to develop services in those areas.

“We spent the summer compiling campus demographics and information from past customer satisfaction surveys. We will be conducting interviews with faculty, staff and students this fall to help us determine their dining needs,” Stacy Schlessinger, dining services marketing director, said. Schlessinger is working closely with her student marketing assistant, Frank Costantino, a senior marketing major in the Lerner College of Business and Economics.

In a letter to department heads, Barbara L. Kreppel, associate vice president for administrative services, explained, “Through Aramark’s innovative MarketMATCH process, Dining Services staff and Aramark corporate representatives will be meeting with key departments, campus organizations and students living on and off camps to ensure we are offering the best dining solutions for the entire campus community.”

Administrator, faculty and staff interviews began on Sept. 10 and will extend to resident assistants, student groups and individual students.

“It’s really all about the growing and evolving along with the campus,” Schlessinger said. “The services that might have been en vogue and sufficient five years ago aren’t necessarily doing the trick today. It is important that we take a step back and look at ourselves from time to time and the MarketMATCH process provides all the tools we need to ensure we continue to move in the right direction.”

Article by Barbara Garrison

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