Concordia Retail and Catering Food Services Report
2023 Concordia Retail and Catering Food Services Report
The 2023 Concordia University Retail and Catering Food Services Survey was created to thoroughly evaluate the on-campus food services used by students, staff and faculty. The focus was mainly on retail, catering and vending services. The survey aimed to collect valuable feedback for Hospitality Food Services, the department responsible for managing these services.
In collaboration with fsSTRATEGY, a firm specializing in food surveys, a draft questionnaire was developed through an iterative process, incorporating feedback from the university. The final version of the survey included 37 multiple-choice and open-ended questions.
This comprehensive survey aimed to provide valuable insights to help Hospitality Food Services improve and tailor Concordia’s food services to better meet the needs of the Concordia community.
Key objectives of the survey
- Assess community satisfaction
Measure satisfaction with food service offerings on each campus. - Evaluate food service experience
Gather insights on the overall food service experience. - Understand campus utilization
Determine how many days people spend at each campus in a typical week. - Identify food and drink sources
Learn where people get their food and drinks while on campus. - Explore non-usage reasons
Understand why some people do not use campus food services. - Analyze spending habits
Examine typical spending habits on food, beverages and snacks. - Identify dietary requirements
Find out about any special dietary needs within our community. - Learn preferences
Understand the community's food and beverage preferences. - Catering services requirements
Assess the community’s needs for catering services.
Data collection
The survey was open to all students, faculty and staff for 11 days, from November 27 to December 8, 2023. It was also accessible with a limited promotion starting on November 21, 2023.
University Communication Services encouraged participation through various channels, including eblasts to the entire community, posters and flyers with QR codes, mentions in student, faculty and staff newsletters, as well as in postings on both Carrefour and the Student Hubs.
Participation was available in both English and French and respondents had the chance to enter a draw to win one of 25 $50 gift cards as a thank you for their participation.
Limitations
A total of 4,097 people started the survey, and 3,226 completed it, giving a 78.7% completion rate.
Eight percent of the 52,215 invitees responded. The response rate was higher among staff and faculty (11.4%) than students (6.7%).
Students living on campus responded at five times the rate of those off campus. While on-campus students and staff/faculty were slightly overrepresented, the variance is within acceptable limits.
Results
Next steps
These insights will help the Hospitality Food Services team to apply different strategies to improve campus food services and better meet the needs of the Concordia community.
Taste and food quality
Greatest opportunity for improvement, highly important but with low satisfaction, especially at Loyola.
Menu options and variety
Second greatest opportunity for improvement, with the lowest satisfaction scores at Loyola.
Other important attributes
Freshly made items, hours of operation, availability of healthy options and speed of service. Most other attributes were somewhat important but had neutral satisfaction scores.
Overall satisfaction
Loyola respondents are generally less satisfied than those at Sir George Williams (SGW).
Frequency of campus visits
72-73% of respondents are on campus three to five days per week.
Differences by campus
SGW respondents are more likely to be on campus three days a week, while Loyola respondents are more likely to be on campus four to five days a week.
Primary role distribution
Staff and faculty at Loyola are more likely to be on campus five days a week compared to those at SGW.
Students living on campus
76.6% of Loyola students spend seven days a week on campus, compared to 39.7% at SGW. Off-campus students' usage is similar across both campuses.
Food from home
Bringing food from home is the most common source. SGW respondents are more likely to bring food from home compared to Loyola.
Purchasing food
30.3% of SGW respondents purchase from off-campus outlets, while 27.3% of Loyola respondents use campus dining halls.
Menu variety
SGW respondents are 50% more likely to seek greater menu variety off-campus.
Product availability
SGW respondents are 27% more likely to feel desired products are unavailable on campus.
Food prices
SGW respondents are 24% more likely to find better prices off-campus.
Product quality
Slightly more Loyola respondents purchase food off-campus due to quality.
Other factors
- better ambiance
- limited campus food options
- lack of healthy choices
- limited operating hours
- long wait times
Lower cost
Top reason at both campuses.
Personal cooking preference
23.5% of respondents at both campuses prefer their own cooking.
Other factors
- convenience
- lack of desired products
- limited operating hours
- lack of healthy options (vegan, gluten-free)
- food quality and taste
- long wait times
The greatest opportunities for improvement in the food services at both campuses include food taste and food quality, additional variety in menu options, increased freshly made items, extended hours of operation and increased availability of healthy options.
At Loyola
Menu options and variety received the lowest satisfaction score of any attributes.
At SGW
Menu options or variety, available seating and access to nutritional information (or ensuring the Community is aware of how to access such information) received the lowest scores.
Food quality and variety
Enhancing taste, food quality and menu variety remains a priority at both campuses, addressing significant gaps in satisfaction.
Hours and healthy options
Increasing availability of freshly made items, extending hours of operation and offering more healthy choices are identified areas for improvement.
Potential improvement
Addressing concerns about food costs menu variety and product availability these concerns could encourage the community to use campus food services more frequently.
Popular spots at Loyla:
- Hive Cafe
- Second Cup
- Faro Café
Popular spots at SGW:
- Tim Hortons
- Poulet Rouge
- Starbucks
Special dietary needs
- Common requirements include:
- vegetarian
- high protein
- dairy/lactose-free
- Areas for improvement at Loyola include:
- Kosher
- gluten-free
- sesame-free
- Areas for improvement at SGW include:
- Kosher
- gluten-free
- soy-free
- high protein
- mustard-free
Spending habits
The majority spend over $4.00 on beverages, while significant portions spend between $2.00 to $3.99 on drinks and $2.50 to $4.99 on snacks.
Lunch purchases range from $10.00 to $20.00 for 25.0% of respondents.
External competitiveness
SGW meets many top flavor preferences through external and leased operations, with gaps in Mexican, Thai, Greek, Vietnamese and French flavors.
Loyola has potential to meet identified flavor preferences with limited external competition.
Preferred options at Loyola:
- Italian
- Canadian/American
Preferred options at SGW:
- Japanese
- Indian
- Canadian/American
Preferred items:
- sandwiches
- bowls
- shawarma
- salads
- flatbread pizza
- noodles
Requested caterers additions:
- Tim Hortons
- McDonald's
- Boustan
- Subway
- Starbucks are top requests for caterers
Requested cuisine additions:
- Indian
- Italian
- Japanese
Popular menus
Lunch is the most requested catering option, followed by coffee/tea breaks and lunch boxes.
Proximity
SGW respondents show higher willingness to walk short distances for snacks, beverages and meals compared to Loyola.
Brand preferences
Most respondents have no preference between branded and non-branded food outlets, with a balanced preference for local or national brands.
Feedback
Positive attributes include:
- outlet accessibility
- variety
- service quality
- specific praise for Hive Café
Improvement opportunities highlighted include:
- affordability
- menu diversity
- convenience
- healthier options
- taste improvement
- seating capacity
- enhanced advertising strategies
Conclusion
These insights provide a comprehensive view of current perceptions and areas for enhancement in campus food services, guiding future improvements to better meet community expectations.
