Boosting traffic with late-night options

Northwestern University converted a dining hall this fall into a late-night snack and full-meal outlet, a decision that has resonated with students. The new dining option has tripled meal counts at the facility, Elder Dining Hall, says Ken Field, director of dining at the Evanston, Ill.-based university.

Previously, traffic at Elder was being dragged down by lunch service. Students weren’t willing to trek back and forth from classes to the hall, which is closer to their dorms. “We tried several different things with lunch options and weren’t able to attract a substantial number of students to come back,” says Field.

Field worked with Sodexo, the university’s foodservice contractor, to sharpen the space’s appeal at dinner and to attract students looking for late-night eating options.

Instead of only offering late-night standards like pizza and appetizers, Sodexo has built a menu around both comfort foods and more adventurous plant-based options, such as a chef-inspired black bean burger. This allows students who are studying or coming home from work to have a balanced meal.

Field is also developing some upscale options like steak or gourmet sandwiches that could be priced at double the cost of a meal offered through a meal plan.

The foodservice department partnered with student groups on campus to promote the new menus and hours. The department employs student marketing interns who use social media.

Related:Northwestern University adds new carry-out program

Additionally, to promote the menu’s plant-centric options, dining services relied on students involved with the campus’ Real Food Challenge, a group that promotes sustainability food on campus, to spread the word about Elder. “We always want to try and promote the freshness and sell the convenience for students,” Field says.

Field regards the Elder’s transition as a success, but expresses regrets that he didn’t make minor renovations to the space. His suggestion to fellow operators is to time a dining halls rebranding with a renovation as “those types of things would be a key to help draw more traffic.”