THE OPPORTUNITY

With so many foodservice outlets on campus, the College & University channel presents a unique range of opportunities. Dining halls can serve globally inspired fare to meet the demands of students and staff; catering services can demonstrate flexibility and creativity; concession stands and on-site retail outlets can incorporate on-the-go eats and snacks that satisfy cravings. Staying on top of the latest trends and implementing innovative solutions like street food and grab-and-go plant-based handhelds will make success a reality across dayparts and menu possibilities.

 

Audience

• Generation Z includes anyone born between 1998 and 2016.
• By 2020, nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population will be Generation Z.
• Gen Z has $828 billion in spending power.
• Gen Z accounted for 25% of foodservice spending in 2018.
• On a weekly basis, over 75% of Gen Z consumers are visiting foodservice establishments.
• 31% of Gen Z's food budget is spent on dining out with an average weekend food budget of $125.24.
• Gen Z is more interested in emerging global flavors than previous generations.

_{Datassential, Gen Z: Generations of Change, April 2018}

 

flavor focus: global cuisine 

As international cuisines become more mainstream, dishes from far-away locations are taking their places in C&U dining halls, concession stands and retail outlets alongside spaghetti and pizza. An ethnically diverse student body means global cuisine is the new normal and the more regionally-specific, the better! As a result, more exotic specialty ingredients are making their way onto C&U menus to meet students’ desire for authentic foods as well as Americanized versions of ethnic fare.

Global Cuisine in Action 

• Introduce menu items that go beyond the international cuisines that students already know and love by diving deeper into new regional specialties.
• The authenticity of regional global favorites from Taiwan, Israel, the Yucatan Peninsula and beyond will earn instant credibility.
• Since students crave global street foods, create an International Street Food theme night using the new Custom Culinary® Latin and Korean Flavors to create new favorites like customizable Korean bibimbap rice bowls or a make-your-own burrito station.

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