Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today - 45

At the colleges and universities that Harvest
Table has served since the beginning,
91 percent of guests rated their overall
satisfaction with their dining program as a 9
or 10 on a 10-point scale in 2022, according
to Harvest Table's internal Your Feedback
Matters platform. That compares with the
industry average of 76 earned by fast-food
restaurants in the American Customer
Satisfaction Index's survey, where Chick-fil-A
and Jimmy John's earned high scores of 83
and 79, respectively, and popular brands like
Starbucks, Panera Bread, Chipotle and Pizza
Hut all earned a 77.
" The focus on the actual guest experience
is key, " said Jermaine Bozier, Harvest Table
associate director of guest experience.
" For GEMs, getting it right means putting
themselves in guests' shoes. "
GEMs collaborate with departments across
campus, local farms and businesses, student
organizations, and community groups to
create events that bring students from cross-sections
of campus together. They catalyze ideas for bringing
subject matter experts, including chefs and health
and well-being managers, and their talents to groups
that might not ordinarily think of collaborating with
dining.
" In every conversation they have, GEMs make
sure the guest perspective is voiced and heard
by all of the leadership team members, " Williams
said. " They're there to really ground us in student
feedback and expectations. "
IT'S BIGGER THAN A COW
Every meal tells a story, and GEMs play a key role in
making sure that story conveys meaning and impact,
connecting students to their food, their environment
and their community. GEMs rigorously partner with
campus communications before, during, and after
events through social media, campus pop-ups, and
student dining committees. This drives interest and
participation throughout the semester.
For instance, bringing cows to campus turns heads,
but the overall experience is bigger than a cow-it's
about how the local farmers they partner with, along
with the animals and land they care for, provide the
food that nourishes everyone.
Guest Experience Managers (GEMs) ensure that dining is
visible and engaging. One example was bringing a cow to
campus to educate students about the farms where their
food originates. (Photo courtesy of Harvest Table)
As curators of Harvest Table's social media presence,
GEMs amplify authentic stories that resonate with
guests and attract potential students. When students
come to campus, they often mention that they have
already been following them on social media. In a sense,
Harvest Table's content may function as a recruiting
tool for the colleges and universities they serve.
At Elon University, students have gotten up close and
personal with one of the cows that produce Carolina
Culture's yogurt and enjoy fresh milk from Ran-Lew
Dairy.
There, the " most popular Instagram account is Elon
Dining! " said Greg Zaiser, Elon's vice president for
enrollment. " At Elon, we create foodies by having such a
strong social presence. "
Creating foodies is central to Elon's core tenet of
experiential learning, and Harvest Table contributes to
that value by elevating the guest experience as part
of the university's multifaceted educational journey.
Through monthly meetings and close collaboration
with Elon's Department of Sustainability, the GEM
and other hospitality team members ensure that
their program is continually focused on maintaining
a sustainable and responsible dining ecosystem,
from local sourcing to minimizing waste to providing
experiential opportunities for students to gain a deeper
understanding of where their food comes from.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: WHERE SERVICE MEETS SATISFACTION
| CAMPUS DINING TODAY
45
Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today

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