Better-for-you options drive snack sales

The word “snacking” may have connotations of high calories and unhealthy choices, but that’s hardly what’s happening on college campuses today.

Recent data from Technomic’s 2016 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report revealed that 41% of total respondents (and 47% of female respondents) aged 18-34 are snacking more on healthier foods than they were two years ago, and 44% of this same group say they’re snacking more overall.

That’s certainly the case at the University of Portland in Oregon, where an all-day facility housing the bookstore and a small dining room was renovated 18 months ago to become a combination coffee house and gastropub, called the Pilot House, with an adjacent c-store, called Mack’s Market.

“We’re doing a lot now with healthy snacks, especially at Mack’s Market,” says Kirk Mustain, general manager of the Bon Appetit program. “We try to focus as much as possible on the organic and natural, local and whole foods trends that are already important in our regular dining program.”

This is a smart move, since consumers now expect to see organic claims on menus. What’s more, 44% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase and are willing to pay a little more for organic options. Younger consumers (65%) are more likely to seek out these options than older consumers (35%).

That means snacks such as coconut chips, cheese, kale chips, Greek yogurt, nut spreads, vegetarian and vegan wrap sandwiches and plenty of whole local fruit. “We try to price these as reasonably as possible to encourage kids to buy them,” notes Mustain. “In fact, fruit like apples are loss leaders for us, but they’re really popular.”

The real secret, however, is variety. “We try to change things up as much as possible so customers try new things,” says Mustain. This means that with as many as 2,200 SKUs at any given time, the actual product mix changes every week or so. “We’ll only buy a case or two of anything at a time, and if it works, great, but if it doesn’t, at least we offered something new.”

This is especially true because students that live on-campus are a captive audience; the nearest store or dining option is several miles away. Thus, Mack’s Market offers items such as milk, eggs and bread for dorm refrigerators, as well as grab-and-go snacks and sandwiches, dips and spreads with crackers or veggies, and the usual array of packaged foods and beverages.

Mustain also seeks out local vendors, including a vegan sandwich specialist and an Asian food purveyor, to supply grab-and-go items.

Snack items are also big next door at The Pilot House, which morphs from a coffee bar in the day to a gastropub at night. Late night offerings feature several snacks and small plates, including better-for-you choices such as bento boxes and rice bowls.

Offering lots of snack options does not affect mealtime participation in the Bauccio Commons dining hall, where the core menu is kept small to allow for lots of daily specials to engage interest. And snacks are even more welcome now, as the semester is ending and stress levels are high.

“The kids are always looking for something tasty and nutritious to bring back to their rooms so they can study, especially something high in protein like cheese, yogurt, or hummus or peanut butter with banana chips,” Mustain says. “As long as we keep switching it up, they’ll try it.”

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