Foodservice operations on college and university campuses around the country have changed dramatically as some students return to campus for a new school year.
Many foodservice providers spent the summer planning how to navigate the new requirements wrought by the pandemic, from delivering meals to students in quarantine to implementing new processes and technologies to protect the health of both students and workers. Grab-and-go meals and snacks have become a priority, and operators have accelerated the implementation of mobile ordering and payment tools.
“As students return to campus, being quick to identify the implemented practices that may not be working well and adjusting quickly will be key,” Orlynn Rosaasen, president of the National Association of College & University Food Services and director of dining at the University of North Dakota, told SFA News Daily.
NACUFS recently issued guidelines for reopening college and university foodservice facilities called COVID-19: Assuring Customer Confidence – A Guide for Collegiate Dining.
Labor a Key Challenge
Managing labor has long been a challenge across foodservice, but this year the challenges seem to be amplified, Rosaasen said. Even though operators have taken precautions to make the workplace as safe as possible, employees have remained concerned about their health and the health of their families, and hiring qualified staff has been a challenge.
“Under normal circumstances, foodservice work is stressful, but COVID has increased the stress level for many employees,” he said.
Managers have often had to cope with staff shortages as employees are forced to quarantine or are otherwise unable to come to work.
Additionally, with fewer students on campus as more classes are being conducted remotely, foodservice sales levels have dropped significantly. This is forcing operators to reduce hours and close some locations, and many operators are facing budget challenges under the new, more expensive operating model.
A recent survey conducted by Food Management magazine found that 75 percent of college and university foodservice operators said they anticipated a decrease in meal plan sales this fall, compared with this past spring. Forty percent said they planned to increase prices.
The dining experience itself, which has long been a key element of collegiate life, is also changing dramatically.
“The dining experience on campus is more than the place to pick up a coffee or grab dinner,” said Rosaasen. “It’s a place where students gather socially to interact with one another, form bonds and hold activities.”
He said operators are focusing on the term “physical distancing” rather than “social distancing” to indicate that students can gather, as long as they do so at a safe distance.
Students can also expect a variety of changes in the way their food is prepared and presented—plated or grab-and-go options rather than self-serve, for example—as well as other new processes, such as single-use dining ware.
Mobile Tech Advances
Technology has also taken some steps forward during the pandemic, Rosaasen said, citing the rollout of contactless purchasing and payment.
“Depending upon the size of the institution, online ordering and delivery of food on campus has increased,” he said, adding that some operators are also using mobile applications to schedule food for pick-up, or to reserve time to eat in the dining hall.
The Food Management survey found that 67 percent of operators said they were adding or increasing mobile ordering capabilities, and 40 percent said they were adding or increasing the use of delivery.
Some of the shifts to mobile-based ordering and payment may be long-lasting, Rosaasen said.
“Operators have made the investment in the technology so it won’t go away,” he said.
The shift away from self-service to served stations may only be temporary, however, because of the added labor and the associated costs that are involved.
One area that might see lasting changes as a result of the pandemic is in the procurement of goods and services, Rosaasen said.
Pre-COVID, food brokers and sales people made routine visits to college campuses. Since COVID, most sales calls are virtual, he explained.
“Although there is still a need for the occasional in-person visit, I see many of them retaining virtual contact with college and university operators,” Rosaasen said, noting that associated service providers, such as design consultants, may also continue with virtual meetings in the long term, he said.
Related: Ghost Kitchens Pop Up in the Age of COVID; Foodservice Industry May Lose $300 Billion.
from Industry Operations https://ift.tt/32bpUs8
No comments: