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Higher Education, Business and Industry

Colleges and universities are professional schools whose primary purpose is to furnish academic courses and grant academic degrees. Colleges and universities often own and operate cafeterias and other foodservice operations to serve the needs of students residing on-campus as well as off-campus students, faculty, other visitors, and university events.

Businesses and industry organizations are primarily concerned with the manufacture or provision of goods or services. Many larger organizations operate institutional foodservice establishments to serve the needs of employees, guests, and organization events.

The Decision Making Process

Colleges, universities, and private business often share similar decision making process and stakeholders for their foodservice operations. Many universities, colleges, and private businesses contract foodservice operations to third party vendors. As specified in their contracts, these vendors may have responsibility for all foodservice equipment purchases and operations, and they may therefore serve as the primary contact for program administrators. On the other hand, smaller institutions and companies may manage foodservice operations in-house. In these cases, decision making authority may lie with the foodservice director or central procurement office, or it may be a shared responsibility. A combination of these scenarios may also occur, with some institutions and companies using a third party vendor for daily operations and the institution or company retaining responsibility for equipment purchases through an administrator or procurement office. Most new facilities and major renovations are designed and specified by foodservice consultants.

Messaging

Different messages will resonate with different decision makers depending on the focus of their responsibilities. Administrators and procurement offices may be more interested in the financial impacts of equipment decisions, facility engineers and maintenance staff on energy and water savings, and foodservice staff on performance. “Going green” has also become a significant priority for higher education institutions and private companies over the last several years.

Industry Stakeholders

Foodservice management companies. Foodservice management companies (such as Aramark and Sodexho) often provide turnkey foodservice management services to colleges, universities, and businesses. These companies are often responsible for the design and construction of new foodservice facilities and renovations as well as equipment replacement and ongoing operating decisions. Because foodservice management companies run multiple, large facilities, dedicated outreach can yield significant results across many organizations as program and efficiency information is shared throughout the company.

Foodservice consultants and designers. Consultants and designers are often responsible for large new construction and renovation projects. This group is often difficult to reach and may work on projects across geographic regions; however, they represent a significant opportunity as they often make equipment decisions for projects long before a program or other partners learn about the project. As more organizations have become interested in LEED certification, this group has become more interested in finding solutions to help achieve LEED certification. Referencing the benefits of energy efficiency as a core LEED element can be an effective way to spark the interest of consultants and designers. Find local consultants through the Foodservice Consultants Society International.

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