E23047.001 UNCP Assessment RFP Copy.pdf

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Dining Assessment Report

UNIVERSITY OF

NORTH CAROLINA

AT PEMBROKE

E2347.001

May 31, 2024

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies' prior consent.

Table of Contents

• Background/Methodology

• Dining Program Assessment

• Mission Alignment

• Financial Performance

• Market Capture, Distribution and Capacity

• Retail Dining Services

• Residential Dining Services

• Meal Plans

• Service Hours

• Catering Services

• Marketing and Communications

• Other Observations

• Recommendations for RFP

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Background/Methodology

• Envision Strategies has been retained to assess the existing campus-wide dining services program in preparation for the Request for Proposal at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP). UNCP currently has a contract with Sodexo to manage its dining services, which expires in June 2025. As the University prepares to evaluate future relationships with dining suppliers, this assessment will highlight priorities for UNCP Dining and outline the following areas that the Request for Proposal will focus on:

– Providing UNCP with objectives that include recommendations to assist UNCP Dining in curating a roadmap to enhance future dining services;

– Determining if opportunities exist to create innovative dining solutions for the campus community;

– Assessing the demand and capacity potential of popular locations;

– Creating KPIs to evaluate the program.

• As part of the process, the consultant team visited campus on March 19-20, 2024 to:

– Tour the front and back of house of dining facilities including catering spaces;

– Observe during meal services at retail and residential dining locations;

– Interview key stakeholders, students, and campus community members.

• A survey was conducted April 8-22, 2024, to understand the dining patterns and preferences of the campus community. The survey yielded 754 responses of whom 190 were Undergraduates Living On Campus (25%).

• The dining assessment is based on a review of the operational data, information gathered during the site visit, survey, best practices in the industry, and the consulting team’s experience with similar institutions nationally. It should also be noted that any dining changes made after the consultants’ visit to campus have been appropriately documented in this report.

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Background/Campus and Dining Overview

• The consultants interviewed the following stakeholders and students as part of the assessment:

― Dining Management Team

― Student Focus Groups (4)

― Faculty/Staff Focus Groups (5)

― Athletic Management Team

10+ stakeholder meetings and campus focus groups conducted

• UNCP, located in Pembroke, North Carolina was founded in 1887 as the Croatan Normal School to educate American Indian teachers. UNCP is the nation’s only 4-year public institution founded by American Indians for American Indians.

• Fall 2023 university population includes approximately 5,489 undergraduates, 2,145 graduates, and 992 Faculty/Staff.

• On-campus housing comprises five traditional residence halls and one apartment complex that house around 1,630 students.

• In addition, Envision Strategies will assist UNCP in soliciting proposals and selecting a food service provider(s) for a July 1, 2025, commencement.

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies' prior consent.

Background/Campus and Dining Overview

Resident Dining

Retail Dining

MAP KEY VENUE BUILDING SERVICE FORMAT

1 The Dining Hall

James B. Chavis

Student Center

AYCTE

2 Chick-fil-A Quick Service

3 Brave's Place Quick Service

4 Starbucks DF Lowry - University

College Coffee Shop

5 Café 641 Mary Livermore

Library Quick Service

6 EAT Café James A. Thomas Hall Quick Service

7 Einstein Bros Bagel Weinstein Health

Sciences Building

Quick Service

8 Papa Johns Quick Service

2-3

7-8

Dining Program Assessment

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies’ prior consent.

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies' prior consent.

Assessment/Program Matrix

• The program matrix shown below provides a high-level snapshot of the overall assessment by program area. A summary evaluation of each area is color-coded as:

• It should be noted that for the purpose of this assessment, “yellow” indicates the program is in many regards meeting appropriate levels of expectation, and “green” is above and beyond those levels. This means that with slight alterations, many “yellow” areas can easily move to “green”.

Mission Alignment

Market Capture, Distribution and Capacity

Retail Dining Services

Residential Dining Services

Meal Plans

Service Hours

Catering Services

Marketing & Communications

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Assessment/Program Matrix – Overall Observation

• UNCP Dining provides users with a well-thought-out dining program that allows customers the ability to choose from multiple locations and service styles.

With some challenges related to staffing and student engagement, dining management has done a fantastic job reviewing and tackling these challenges ‘head on’ in a post-pandemic landscape.

• UNCP would like to continue to enhance the campus dining experience to continue to support student well-being, academic success, and overall satisfaction with campus life. This can be continued through collaborative efforts and strategic initiatives to address some current challenges and capitalize on opportunities to continue to enhance the program’s success.

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Assessment/Mission Alignment

Mission Alignment

The program takes an intentional approach to supporting the educational mission of the institution.

The program is aligned with the campus master plan.

The program is responsive to University needs and requests.

Observations

• The current team is taking initiative toward the continued evolution of the program. There is a concern with filling all positions, which existed before the pandemic but has improved over the past year.

• The current management team is working toward positioning the UNCP dining program within “Best in

Class” perspective programmatically when viewed through the lens of retail and residential dining, technology, marketing and communications, management and staffing, and best use of existing facilities.

• The program and the relationship would benefit from clearly set and consistent Key Performance Indicators

(KPIs).

Recommendations for RFP

• Continue to instill a purposeful and frequent cadence of communication and feedback between UNCP leadership and the dining management team.

― Monthly reviews with mutually agreed upon semester KPIs in place, and priorities established, adhered to, and reevaluated as new goals are set.

― Report out on short and long-term goals and achievements, while gaining meaningful feedback from end-users.

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies' prior consent.

Assessment/Market Capture, Distribution, and Capacity

Market Capture, Distribution and Capacity

Market capture of the customer base is strong in comparison to off-campus capture and brown bagging.

Service distribution is aligned with population clusters at key mealtime day-parts.

Resident students have 3-5 minute walking access to a residential restaurant and/or retail operations that accept meal plans.

Facilities are sized to accommodate current and anticipated customer demand.

Observations

• Overall, there were 1,562 meal plan holders in Fall

2023.

• On a typical day, 54.6% of survey respondents indicate that they typically purchase lunch at a campus venue.

This “capture rate” is relatively close to rates noted through similar research on other University campuses.

• The biggest competitor to campus dining is “Bring food from home”, at 18.6% of Lunch Respondents. This is highest among Graduate Students and Faculty/Staff.

1,092 1,148

1,047

338718 724 565 492

1,809 1,872

1,612

1,393

1,191

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Market Capture Rate - Overall UNCP

Lunch Dinner Total

• The graph shows that average weekday dining transactions are 1,575, dropping by at least 61% as compared to the weekends.

• On weekdays, there is a good balance of transactions between residential and retail units at Lunch.

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Assessment/Market Capture, Distribution, and Capacity

• Fall 2023 Monday - Friday weekday lunch total transactions average 997, of which 423 (42%) occur in residential dining and 574 (58%) in retail dining.

• At dinner, total transactions average 579, of which 325 (56%) occur in residential dining and 253

(44%) in retail dining.

DINNER TRANSACTIONS - RESIDENTIAL (M-F)

The Dining Hall 325 56.2%

DINNER TRANSACTIONS – RETAIL (M-F)

Chick-fil-A 178 30.8%

Starbucks 29 5.0%

Café 641 (closed) 0 0.0%

EAT Café (closed) 0 0.0%

Einstein Bros Bagel (closed) 0 0.0%

Papa Johns 47 8.0%

TOTAL LUNCH (RES + RETAIL) 579 100.0%

LUNCH TRANSACTIONS - RESIDENTIAL (M-F)

The Dining Hall 423 42.4%

LUNCH TRANSACTIONS – RETAIL (M-F)

Chick-fil-A 275 27.6%

Starbucks 44 4.4%

Café 641 28 2.8%

EAT Café 98 9.9%

Einstein Bros Bagel 84 8.4%

Papa Johns 45 4.5%

TOTAL LUNCH (RES + RETAIL) 997 100.0%

Note: Brave’s Place transactions are included in The Dining Hall.

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Assessment/Market Capture, Distribution, and Capacity

• Industry average identifies that a student decides where to dine based on a 3–5-minute walking radius.

• Based on the survey results, 81.8% of Total Respondents indicated they are On Campus at Midday.

• There is a good distribution of dining locations across campus.

Midday Population Distribution

(11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

Dining locations

3 min walk

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Assessment/Market Capture, Distribution, and Capacity

• Demand Analysis for Lunch and Dinner indicates that there are no capacity issues at any of the dining locations.

• The table above shows the Demand Analysis assumptions and the specific results for Lunch.

Survey Market Capture/Midday (11 a.m.–2 p.m.)

*Respondents could select up to 2 responses, so the percentage total > 100%

Reasons to eat in The Dining Hall

(Select up to two)

Respondents

(220)

Undergraduates

On Campus

(75)

Fac/Staff/

Admin/Other

(104)

Convenient location 43.6% 42.7% 42.3%

Ability to use my meal plan 42.7% 49.3% 48.1%

Quick service speed/short wait time 20.5% 25.3% 13.5%

Food selection available and/or variety 20.5% 18.7% 19.2%

Price/value 18.6% 1.3% 31.7%

Food quality and preparation 12.7% 9.3% 14.4%

Most of my friends eat here 7.3% 13.3% 2.9%

Enjoyable dining environment 6.4% 9.3% 4.8%

Choices that suit my specific dietary preferences/needs 5.0% 5.3% 4.8%

Other 2.3% 1.3% 1.9%

• Of those who choose an AYCTE location for Lunch

(36.0%), the most total Midday respondents were in Oxendine Sciences Building (12.9%) during this time.

Approximately 8-minute walk from Oxendine to the

Dining Hall

Oxendine Sciences

Building

Dining locations

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Assessment/Retail Dining Retail Dining Services

Offers freshly prepared quality foods.

Offers a broad variety of food concepts.

Includes a robust mix of service formats and service styles to provide accessibility and choice.

The retail brand portfolio and use of well-recognized commercial brands are aligned with customer preferences.

Commercial brands are executed according to brand standards.

Execution of self-branded concepts is commensurate with commercial brands.

Signage is professional (no use of handwritten signage, taped on signage, etc.).

Product merchandising is effective in promoting sales.

Pricing is aligned with similar concepts in the local marketplace.

Observations

• Most of the retail dining locations are within walking distance from major population densities and provide a breadth of menu, brands, and service format options.

• Four National brands are currently on campus, including Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Einstein Bros. Bagels, and Papa John’s.

• Focus group participants indicated that they enjoy the variety of retail dining offerings and frequent retail more often since meal exchanges are allowed with their meal plan 5 times a week.

• 18.6% of Lunch Respondents purchase on campus at a retail operation during the Midday time period (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.).

• Of the Supplier branded concepts, Brave’s Place is included as a retail location. This location is situated at the entrance of the Dining Hall and offers sushi and other small grab & go items such as muffins and coffee.

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Assessment/Retail Dining

Observations

• Einstein Bros. Bagels (EBB) and Papa John's operate from a shared kitchen space within the Weinstein Health Science Building. Following a recent renovation, this building now accommodates both establishments in a communal area. Despite sharing the space, each location has its own neatly organized production area, ensuring separation and efficiency.

– Feedback from focus groups reveals that customers appreciate having both concepts available but express a desire for extended operating hours. For instance, EBB currently opens at 8 a.m., posing challenges for those seeking breakfast before early classes.

• EAT Café is UNCP’s newest addition to the retail offerings and is located in the new Thomas College of Business and Economics.

Eat Café offers diner with an elevated dining experience and is known for its made-to-order burgers. A small reach-in refrigerator offers grab & go selections near the register.

– The current management team at EAT Café demonstrates enthusiasm and active engagement. They are committed to maintaining the quality of freshly made items, expanding grab-and-go options, and addressing challenges directly.

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Assessment/Retail Dining

Observations

• Chick-fil-A is the busiest retail location on campus and is scheduled for a minor renovation to accommodate an expanded menu starting in Fall 2024.

– Dining users heavily utilize Chick-fil-A’s meal exchange program and would like to see a healthier meal exchange combination as an option.

• Café 641 is nestled in the Mary Livermore Library where a combination of grab & go items, drinks, and ramen bowls. This space has changed several times over the past few years and is looking to revamp the menu for Fall 2024.

– Focus groups have highlighted inconsistencies in flavor and expressed concerns regarding the frequency of excessive spills and messes associated with ramen consumption in the library.

• Starbucks is the only traditional coffee shop located on campus. Although the interior of Starbucks is small, there is a plethora of outdoor seating that can be enjoyed for the majority of the year.

– Students and faculty expressed the want to extend hours on weekends and during the Summer terms.

– Due to limited storage facilities and back-of-house space, Starbucks management must develop creative space utilization strategies to optimize functionality.

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Assessment/Retail Dining

Quick

Service/Fast

Casual

Market Café Food Truck Market or C-Store Coffee Shop Self-service hot food bar

New dining operations are not needed

Fully autonomous dining concepts

Total Respondents (754) 50.8% 28.9% 25.6% 22.6% 20.6% 17.6% 8.1% 2.9%

Undergraduates On Campus (190) 56.8% 31.1% 21.6% 38.4% 14.7% 10.0% 3.2% 2.1%

Undergraduates Off Campus (204) 46.6% 33.3% 23.5% 28.4% 25.5% 16.2% 6.9% 3.4%

Graduate Students (107) 36.5% 32.7% 22.4% 18.7% 31.8% 17.8% 8.4% 2.8%

Fac/Staff/Admin/Other (253) 55.7% 22.1% 31.6% 7.5% 16.2% 24.5% 12.7% 3.2%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

If Dining Services was to add or replace dining operations, what type of service would best meet your needs?

Choose up to two responses.

(Total Respondents - 754)

The table above illustrates the top preferences of survey respondents by type of service. Total Respondents expressed a desire for a Quick Service/Fast Casual operation (similar to Chipotle or Panera Bread) to be added to the dining options (50.8%). Additionally, respondents seek a broader selection of quick, to-go offerings.

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Assessment/Retail Dining

New Allied Health Sciences Building

• A new health sciences building is in the schematic design phase and scheduled to open in Fall 2028.

• Envision consultants met with Rob Hsin, Principal with Jenkins Peer Architects, who is developing this project.

Through this brief meeting, we learned:

― A kitchen and dining space is being built in the center of the two wings;

― The configuration will hold 120 tabled seats or 160 with no tables;

― Kitchen space is being designed as a shell for Supplier to bring forth potential food concepts.

• The current concepts (EBB and Papa John’s) in Weinstein Hall will be closed and the current space will be reprogrammed for other functions upon completion of the new Allied Health Sciences Building.

– The dining offering in the New Allied Health Building should be a new offering to the campus community focused on healthy options.

Square Footage New Allied Health

Sciences

Weinstein Health

Sciences

Kitchen/Servery 1,310 1,376

Seating 2,700 2,068

Total 4,010 3,444

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Assessment/Retail Dining

Recommendations for RFP

• Establish retail dining customer satisfaction KPI to be included in the Supplier’s performance scorecard and evaluation.

• Consider offering a wider array of authentic and diverse cuisine options on campus, including exploring potential partnerships with local restaurants

• Consider recommendations for concept modifications for underperforming concepts, such as Café 641.

• Challenge the Supplier to identify ways to efficiently increase retail options during evenings and weekends during the academic year.

• Continue to request the use of local ingredients and sourcing to improve the program standard.

• With dining to be provided in the new Allied Health Sciences Building, re-evaluate and remix concept/brand offerings within the framework of the entire program.

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Assessment/Residential Dining Residential Dining Services

Uses quality ingredients with emphasis on fresh vs. convenience foods.

Food production staff includes professionally trained culinarians.

Uses small batch preparation methods to minimize holding time.

Exhibition cooking is the standard rather than the exception.

Food presentation incorporates decorative elements, high quality serviceware and garnishes to maximize visual appeal.

The daily approach to menuing incorporates:

1. High quality proteins and whole meats to balance carbohydrate offerings;

2. A balanced range of choice at each meal that includes protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits;

3. Authentically prepared ethnic foods;

4. Vegetarian entrees;

5. Vegan entrees (where necessary in response to customer dietary preferences);

6. Seasonal offerings;

7. Multiple types of fresh fruit at every meal - both whole and cut;

8. Multiple fresh cooked vegetables at lunch and dinner;

9. Provisions for religious dietary preferences such as Kosher or Halal (as warranted by customer needs).

Menus rotate from meal to meal, day to day and week to week, minimizing product duplication.

Concept identifiers are used at each service point (Grill, Salad Bar, etc.).

All products served are labelled and labels are professional and consistent in appearance.

Offers regular special events & theme meals that reflect interests of the residents and the University.

Observations

• The Dining Hall is the sole All-You-Care-To-Eat (AYCTE) facility on campus, offering an array of options across multiple stations. Based on market assessment, customer’s main areas of concern were the hours of operation and lack of healthy food options.

• Staff is friendly and has a good relationship with dining customers.

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Assessment/Residential Dining Observations

• Exhibition cooking is present during peak meal periods; however, concerns about food quality, specifically at Breakfast, were expressed during focus groups.

• Feedback from focus groups highlighted a significant presence of pork in daily offerings. Participants expressed a desire for a greater variety of lean proteins to be provided daily.

• Students expressed menu fatigue and would like to see an increased rotation of the menu items specifically during late-night.

• The salad bar is a crowd favorite, and everyone enjoys the freshly made deli items that are available.

• Signature items, such as a house-made turkey burger, house-made yeast rolls, and butter varieties are implemented throughout each station. Continue to refresh featured items each semester.

• Typically, the Dining Hall adequately accommodates diners with sufficient space and food offerings. However, occasional hosting of field trips or camps quickly fills the space, often with smaller children. This limits accessibility to those seeking a quick lunch.

• Students voiced a want for more authentic ethnic cuisine to be weaved into the program.

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Assessment/Residential Dining

Observations

• Currently staff is blocking off a portion of the seating to keep certain areas clean. This hinders the ability to utilize the Dining Hall to its full potential and may deter some from dining in.

• A ‘hidden gem’ is located at the bar stool seating at the grill station, as Breakfast All Day has been introduced but had very little marketing for the roll out. This is a fantastic way of engaging students throughout the day and would be very popular, if marketed well.

Recommendations for RFP

• Encourage incorporating authentic menu items that rotate frequently to highlight UNCP’s diverse student population. Mandate just-in-time cooking, or made-to-order, whenever possible.

• Clear and accurate labeling of menu items for nutritional information and allergens.

• Establish residential dining customer satisfaction KPIs to be included in the Supplier’s performance scorecard and evaluation.

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Assessment/Back of House Space at James B. Chavis Student Center

Square Footage The Dining Hall Chick-fil-A

Existing Dishwash 895

Existing Kitchen 2,578 521

Existing Storage 1,001

Existing Support 1,297

Existing Total Space 5,392

Space Needed 2,781

The current back-of-house area shared space between the Dining Hall and Chick-fil-

A (kitchen highlighted in red) provides an adequate amount of square footage based on current demand analysis. While the square footage is accurate, it is noted that the overall layout could be improved to increase efficiency.

Note: Merged cells indicate shared space.

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Assessment/Meal Plans

Observations

• The existing meal plan structure offers a wide range of options for Residents, Commuters, and Faculty/Staff. On-campus residents, living in traditional housing are mandated to enroll in meal plans. In Fall 2023, a total of 1,562 meal plans were sold, with 12 meals per week + $375 Flex Dollars as the most popular plan.

• UNCP has an active Faculty/Staff that utilizes the Faculty/Staff meal plan and there is an option for Faculty/Staff to deduct the meal plan from their paycheck. This plan includes meal exchanges and has an optional Flex Dollar allowance associated with the plan.

Meal Plans

The meal plan structure:

1. Offers different purchase levels to accommodate diverse needs, yet plans are not so numerous/complicated that they are confusing;

2. Provides sufficient financial support and stability to the dining program while meeting student expectations for value;

3. Is aligned with the overall mission of the University, which may include encouraging community dining for residents;

4. Offers smaller plan configurations to attract voluntary customers and grow revenue to support the resident dining program.

Meal plans provide access to all dining venues in the system.

Meal plans are flexible enough to provide students with reasonable control over when and where they eat.

The meal plan program incorporates policies that encourage use and discourage missed meals. For example:

- Take-out programs;

- Generous guest meals;

- Dining Dollars, meal equivalencies or meal exchange for use in retail locations.

Meal Plans/Satisfaction – Mandatory Plan Holder

10.1%

13.8%

10.1%

8.3%

8.3%

6.4%

6.4%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

24.8%

8.3%

18.4%

16.5%

13.8%

12.8%

9.2%

13.8%

12.8%

10.1%

55.1%

30.3%

50.5%

27.5%

27.5%

32.1%

31.2%

34.9%

29.4%

24.8%

15.6%

13.8%

21.1%

17.4%

30.3%

27.5%

24.8%

28.4%

29.4%

28.4%

33.9%

36.7%

15.6%

10.1%

13.8%

15.6%

20.2%

22.9%

21.1%

21.1%

22.9%

26.6%

37.6%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

My meal plan provides good options that align with my religious beliefs

There are enough late-night dining options where I can use my meal plan

My meal plan provides good access to vegan/vegetarian options

The current dining hours generally allow me to obtain meals at the times I want

My meal plan provides the right amount of Flex Dollars to meet my needs

My meal plan provides good access to healthful options at a reasonable cost

Overall, I am satisfied with my meal plan

My meal plan provides meal exchanges that are of good value

My meal plan provides a good value

My meal plan provides the right number of all-you-care-to-eat meals to meet my needs

My meal plan generally allows me to purchase food where I want on campus

For each statement identified below, please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with the statement.

(Mandatory Meal Plan Holder Respondents - 109)

1 - Completely Disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 - Completely Agree

*Undergrad On Campus n=99

• Overall, meal plan holders are generally satisfied with their meal plans. The highest satisfaction point, highlighted in red, indicates the flexibility of holders being able to use their meal plan for purchases across campus. The blue box indicates the most significant desired improvement area, namely late-night dining options available to meal plan holders.

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Assessment/Meal Plans

Observations

• The current program incorporates flexible policies and provides meal plan holders with reasonable control over when and where they eat such as:

– Meal exchanges (five weekly) on residential plans to be used for select combination meals in retail;

– Flex Dollars that roll over from Fall to Spring semester;

– Guest meals are included in all meal plans (10 swipes/semester) ;

– To-go meals at dining halls, upon request.

• Some influential factors shown on the survey as to why non-meal plan holders do not have meal plans are:

– ‘I prefer to cook my own meals’ (54.3%);

– ‘I do not eat enough on campus to make it worthwhile to purchase a plan’ (53.4%);

– ‘The meal plans are priced higher than I want to pay or can afford’ (50.7%);

– ‘I prefer to pay as I go rather than depositing funds/paying for a plan in advance’ (46.9%).

• The existing dining website offers accurate information on meal plans, clearly distinguishing between resident, commuter, and declining balance plans. However, there is limited pricing information available directly on the dining website.

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Assessment/Meal Plans – Benchmarking - Mandatory Meal Plans

Mandatory Meal Plans

University of

North Carolina at Pembroke

University of

North

Carolina

Greensboro

East Carolina

University

Western

Carolina

University

Columbus

State

University

East

Tennessee

State

University

Unlimited + $550 $2,150 $2,426

Unlimited + $450 $2,426

Unlimited + $400 $2,050 $2,635 $2,330

Unlimited + $350 $2,426

Unlimited + $250 $2,426

Unlimited + $240 $2,782

Unlimited + $200 $1,950 $2,100

Unlimited + $150 $2,770

Unlimited + $130 $2,391

Unlimited + $100 $1,975

Unlimited + $65 $2,300

Unlimited $2,627 $1,720

Unlimited 5 Day + $100

150 Block + $560 $2,210

130 Block + $550 $1,780

130 Block + $350 $1,580

15 Meals/Week + $100 $1,720

14 Meals/Week + $350 $1,974

12 Meals/Week + $500 $2,202

12 Meals/Week + $375 $2,550

12 Meals/Week + $300 $2,002

10 Meals/Week + $475 $2,417

Plan Meal Exchange

University of North Carolina Pembroke

Unlimited + $150 5 Exchanges/Week

Unlimited 5 Exchanges/Week

12 Meals/Week + $375 5 Exchanges/Week

10 Meals/Week + $475 5 Exchanges/Week

University of North Carolina Greensboro

Unlimited + $550 40 Exchanges/Semester (~2.5/Week)

Unlimited + $400 80 Exchanges/Semester (~5/Week)

Unlimited + $200 110 Exchanges/Semester

(~6.9/Week)

East Carolina University

Unlimited + $250 60 Exchanges/Semester (~3.8/Week)

Unlimited + $350 40 Exchanges/Semester (~2.5/Week)

Unlimited + $450 20 Exchanges/Semester (~1.3/Week)

Western Carolina University

Unlimited + $240 1 Exchange/Day

East Tennessee State University

Unlimited 7 Day + $400 4 Exchanges/Week

Unlimited 7 Day + $200 3 Exchanges/Week

Unlimited 7 Day + $100 2 Exchanges/Week

Unlimited 5 Day + $100 1 Exchanges/Week

15 Meals/Week + $100 1 Exchanges/Week

• Compared to peer institutions, UNCP's mandatory meal plans do have a slightly higher cost. However, the value-add that meal plan participants derive from the meal exchange program surpasses that of other benchmarked institutions.

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Assessment/Meal Plans – Benchmarking - Voluntary Meal Plans

Voluntary Meal Plans University of North

Carolina at Pembroke

University of North

Carolina Greensboro East Carolina University

Western Carolina

University

Columbus State

University

East Tennessee State

University

120 Block + $150 $1,273

80 Block + $615 $1,359

80 Block + $230 $1,049

80 Block + $200 $990

60 Block + $250 $855

50 Block + $300 $550

50 Block + $100 $577

50 Block + $50 $527

40 Block + $455 $856

40 Block + $330 $820

40 Block + $300 $730

25 Block + $150 $475

25 Block + $100 $342

25 Block + $50 $292

20 Block + $350 $595

10 Block + $200 $330

$1,200 $1,200

$800 $800

$776 $776

$745 $745

$500 $500

$500 $500

$250 $250

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Assessment/Meal Plans – High-Level Market Review

• UNCP’s use of the Unlimited plan with various dining dollars attached is common.

– Many universities use the unlimited plan as a way to provide students with flexible dining options while ensuring they have sufficient meals throughout the semester.

• Some institutions are considering block plans instead of weekly plans to allow students the autonomy of having full control over their swipes for an entire semester.

– In general, the consultants have found that the preference for block plans over weekly plans is not universal; it depends on the specific campus and what students value from their meal plan.

• Generally, meal plans are portable in that they can be used in various dining locations on campus.

– Currently, UNCP’s portability surpasses the average campus leaving Students, Faculty, and Staff feeling that they are receiving a better value from their plan.

• UNCP incorporation of meal exchanges and dining dollars is best practice.

• Overall, UNCP offers a variety of plan options that allow Students, Faculty, and Staff the ability to choose a plan that best suits their needs.

• There is concern about a pending Department of Education regulation that would make meal plans refundable.

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Assessment/Service Hours Service Hours

Weekday service hours generally allow customers to eat where and when they want to.

Late night service hours generally allow customers to eat where and when they want to.

Late night dining locations offer a range of product choice that satisfies the late night community.

Weekend service hours provide adequate meal opportunities for the weekend community.

Observations

• The biggest areas of opportunity are late-night hours.

• Weekend hours are limited, with over half of locations fully closed on Saturday.

• Both late-night and weekend hours were among the top desired improvements according to the survey.

Recommendations for RFP

• Incorporate additional late-night options for students who are involved in extracurriculars or are involved in a non-traditional academic schedule.

Price/value

Food variety and selection

Food quality and preparation

Healthy food choices

Late night dining

Weekend service hours

Total Respondents (754) 25.5% 22.7% 22.6% 18.4% 18.3% 14.7%

Undergraduates On Campus (190) 20.0% 24.2% 29.5% 17.4% 27.4% 25.8%

Undergraduates Off Campus (204) 32.8% 22.6% 18.1% 17.7% 24.5% 18.1%

Graduate Students (107) 26.2% 10.3% 23.4% 16.8% 22.4% 11.2%

Fac/Staff/Admin/Other (253) 23.3% 26.9% 20.6% 20.6% 4.7% 5.1%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%

Desired Improvements (Top 6 Choices)

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Assessment/Service Hours

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday a.m. p.m. a.m.

7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Residential Dining

The Dining Hall

Retail Dining

Einstein Bros Bagels

Chick-fil-A

Papa Johns

Starbucks

Café 641

EAT Café

Hours of Operation:

Saturday a.m. p.m. a.m.

7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Residential Dining

The Dining Hall

Retail Dining

Einstein Bros Bagels

Chick-fil-A

Papa Johns

Starbucks

Café 641

EAT Café

Note: Brave’s Place is housed within The Dining Hall.

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Assessment/Catering

Observations

• Catering on campus is exclusive to the current Supplier.

• UNCP Catering has been reported to be expensive and unaffordable for student groups and smaller Faculty/Staff events.

• The focus group participants indicated that the UNCP Catering team is willing to try new menu items and has always been very helpful when curating a menu for events.

• The Supplier provides access to online ordering, but frequent users prefer to place their orders via phone due to the relationship with the catering team and ensure consistency.

Catering Services

Offers a diversity of quality menus at varying price points.

Software is provided for online ordering, event booking and invoicing.

Event execution is accurate and on time; post event clean up is timely.

Staffing levels are adequate and staff is professional.

Management is collaborative with the University on rate packaging and execution of summer conferences, camps, and special events.

Clear and accessible online information is available regarding approved caterers and policies.

Catering/Satisfaction

On-Campus Catering

Scale: 1=Completely Disagree, 3=Neutral, 5=Completely Agree

On-Campus

Catering

Respondents

(128)

The on-site staff is professional in appearance and conduct 4.2

The caterer cleans up promptly after events and leaves the facility in good condition 4.1

I can place an order and receive a cost estimate online 4.1

Service occurs efficiently without disruption to my meeting/event 4.1

Invoicing is timely and accurate 4.0

The caterer provides exactly what I ordered 4.0

The full cost of the event is clearly understandable at the time of booking 4.0

The events are always delivered and set up on time 4.0

The caterer is flexible in working with my changing needs 4.0

The quantity of the food/beverage provided meets my expectations 3.8

It is easy to get in touch with the right person when placing orders 3.8

I can make all of my arrangements with a single phone call/meeting or visit to the catering website 3.8

I will continue to use this caterer for future events 3.8

The quality of the food/beverage provided meets my expectations 3.7

A good value is received for the price paid 3.0

• Survey results from catering responses have been put in descending order from ‘completely agree’ to ‘completely disagree’.

• Generally, survey respondents are satisfied with catering services.

Assessment/Catering

Observations

• Student organizations voiced concerns that authentic cultural foods are not available for club events.

• The catering production occurs within the Dining Hall leaving storage and staging for large events to be challenging.

• Focus group participants would like to see Food Trucks incorporated into catered events in the future.

Recommendations for RFP

• Suggest Supplier to provide ideas for more affordable catering menus to student groups/organizations.

• Consider a catering exemption strategy for students who need authentic offerings for clubs and organizations; develop criteria and use guidelines.

• Require the Supplier to undertake an annual market basket comparison of on-campus catering and off-campus caterers on menus and pricing.

• Require event survey feedback during the event & post-event.

This rating could then be used as a KPI for inclusion in the Supplier’s performance scorecard.

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Assessment/Marketing and Communications Marketing & Communications

A comprehensive marketing plan is in place to identify business opportunities and drive voluntary revenue.

The program is effective in communicating its story.

Marketing staff and financial resources are appropriate to properly execute the marketing plan.

The Dining Services website includes accurate information on:

- Service locations and hours;

- Current menus and pricing;

- Meal Plan information;

- Upcoming events;

- Wellness education;

- Marketing and advertising;

- Sustainability education;

- Customer feedback mechanisms.

Social media is used in real-time to communicate specials, events and important information about the dining program.

Customer satisfaction surveys are conducted each term or at least annually.

Quarterly Business Reviews

Observations

• In general, the dining team maintains consistent information across all locations, but more focused marketing tactics could enhance their reach and engagement with the student audience.

• The dining website contains most of the information customers seek, but its design is relatively standard for a Supplier. There is room for improvement in providing clearer details on meal plan pricing and daily menu options.

• The dining social media page stays up-to-date and features campus events, hours, and student/staff appreciation.

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Assessment/Marketing and Communications

Observations

• Signage at all locations was neatly presented and legible; however, in some instances small fonts were used, making it difficult for individuals to discern the offerings without approaching the display.

― Typed signs sometimes lacked accompanying ingredient lists, leaving individuals with food allergies uncertain about the contents.

Recommendations for RFP

• Encourage Suppliers to implement real-time feedback mechanisms for dining users.

• Continue improvements with accurate information regarding menus and dietary needs on the website and displayed signs.

• Verify that signage across the campus and in all dining locations is current and up-to-date.

• Ensure that Suppliers submit an annual Marketing Plan outlining their marketing strategies, including an implementation calendar and target objectives. This information should be included in the Supplier's performance scorecard.

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Assessment/Other Observations

Athletics and Concessions

• The Athletic Management team noted that athletes encounter difficulties accessing a diverse range of healthy meals beyond the Dining Hall. There is a demand for healthy grab-and-go options to complement their dietary needs throughout the day.

• There is a desire for the dining team to have a dedicated part-time Registered Dietitian.

• The athletic department aims to maintain competitively priced concessions.

• Work is in progress to incorporate on-site grills in a permanent stand that is in proximity to the existing baseball stadium.

Technology

• Digital signage has not been integrated into all dining spaces. Dining would benefit from the implementation of screens to display current events, menus, and dietary identifiers.

• UNCP offers mobile ordering for retail locations.

• According to the survey, the top 3 technologies that would be of value/importance to dining users are:

― Self-service into dining locations (58.6%)

― Fresh food vending (57.7%)

― Digital ID on mobile phone to access dining locations (51.8%)

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Assessment/Other Observations

Health and Wellness

• The consistency of product labeling concerning allergens or ingredient information varies across dining locations. It is imperative to mandate the availability of easily readable nutritional and allergen information at each dining location/point of service, as well as online.

• Vegan/vegetarian options could be improved upon throughout residential and retail locations on campus.

• Recommend a heightened focus on promoting health and wellness within the dining program. This could involve organizing health and mental wellness events, sharing resources, ensuring consistent support from a nutritionist or dietitian services, and creating out-of-classroom learning opportunities related to food and wellness.

Sustainability

• Currently, local products are incorporated into certain locations, like EAT Café. The objective is to further enhance local partnerships to bolster the dining sustainability portfolio. Collaborate with the marketing and communications team to actively showcase narratives about locally sourced items and their origins.

• Develop an Annual Dining Sustainability Plan to further drive innovation and progress the dining program.

• Consider practices such as; composting, recycling, a reusable to-go program, and more efficient equipment in the dining program.

Recommendations for RFP

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies’ prior consent.

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies' prior consent.

Recommendations for RFP

• Continue to instill a purposeful and frequent cadence of communication and feedback between UNCP leadership and the dining management team.

― Monthly reviews with mutually agreed upon semester KPIs in place, and priorities established, adhered to, and reevaluated as new goals are set.

― Report out on short and long-term goals and achievements, while gaining meaningful feedback from end-users.

• Provide an opportunity for bidders to create the most advantageous overall dining program. This may include changes to the total number of dining venues and the location for retail dining facilities.

• A new contract should identify that the Supplier is responsible to fund any required Brand refreshes.

• Establish retail dining customer satisfaction KPI to be included in the Supplier’s performance scorecard and evaluation.

• Consider offering a wider array of authentic and diverse cuisine options on campus, including exploring potential partnerships with local restaurants.

• Consider recommendations for concept modifications for underperforming concepts, such as Café 641.

• Challenge the Supplier to identify ways to efficiently increase retail options during evenings and weekends during the academic year.

• Continue to request the use of local ingredients and sourcing to improve the program standard.

• With dining to be provided in the new Allied Health Sciences Building, re-evaluate and remix concept/brand offerings within the framework of the entire program.

• Encourage incorporating authentic menu items that rotate frequently to highlight UNCP’s diverse student population.

Mandate just-in-time cooking, or made-to-order, whenever possible.

This document is strictly confidential and solely for the use of the recipient and no parts herein may be reproduced or circulated without Envision Strategies' prior consent.

Recommendations for RFP

• Clear and accurate labeling of menu items for nutritional information and allergens.

• Establish residential dining customer satisfaction KPIs to be included in the Supplier’s performance scorecard and evaluation.

• Incorporate additional late-night options for students who are involved in extracurriculars or are involved in a non-traditional academic schedule.

• Suggest Supplier to provide ideas for more affordable catering menus to student groups/organizations.

• Consider a catering exemption strategy for students who need authentic offerings for clubs and organizations; develop criteria and use guidelines.

• Require the Supplier to undertake an annual market basket comparison of on-campus catering and off-campus caterers on menus and pricing.

• Require event survey feedback during the event & post-event. This rating could then be used as a KPI for inclusion in the Supplier’s performance scorecard.

• Encourage Suppliers to implement real-time feedback mechanisms for dining users.

• Continue improvements with accurate information regarding menus and dietary needs on the website and displayed signs.

• Ensure that Suppliers submit an annual Marketing Plan outlining their marketing strategies, including an implementation calendar and target objectives. This information should be included in the Supplier's performance scorecard.