Humanity and Technology: Aramark Collegiate Hospitality Insights Feed the Whole Student Experience

As the fall 2024 semester opens, college students look for a seamless integration of their tech-driven society with their yearning for a simpler life—a nostalgia trend that is shaping how they interact with those around them. In response, Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is meeting these students where they are this fall: Collegiate Hospitality blends high-tech efficiency with tangible, wellness focused programs to bridge these needs while also creating classic, in-person opportunities for a human touch.

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As the fall 2024 semester opens, college students look for a seamless integration of their tech-driven society with their yearning for a simpler life—a nostalgia trend that is shaping how they interact with those around them. In response, Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is meeting these students where they are this fall: Collegiate Hospitality blends high-tech efficiency with tangible, wellness focused programs to bridge these needs while also creating classic, in-person opportunities for a human touch. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We know that students are existing in an emotional paradox right now, based on our broad-based consumer insights,” said Jack Donovan, President and CEO of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. “Nostalgia for what they perceive as simpler times is changing the way they approach their hospitality experience on campus. At the same time, they are steeped in technology that is integrated in all that they do. Our constant monitoring of student sentiment and satisfaction on campuses allows us to find unique, creative ways to build an ecosystem of hospitality that prioritizes authentic interaction.”

Collegiate Hospitality’s campus partnership is not only about nutritious meals and warm dining experiences, but it is also about providing potentially life-shaping programs that help campus programs to shine. Many colleges and university have deep relationships with our operations on campus, and Aramark welcomes opportunities to give students hands-on, long-term job skills and career pathways in the form of management programs or as interns and externs.

Additionally, Aramark is committed to providing career showcases and highlighting the exciting gamut of career paths that exist in the hospitality industry. In today’s world, practical experience and networking opportunities drive post-graduation success. At times, this looks like broader community engagement, and for campuses across the nation, this looks like participating in highly influential student advisory groups like the Council of Student Advisors and HBCU Emerging Leaders.

“What sets Aramark Collegiate Hospitality apart is its insight-driven attention to the whole student, the whole campus atmosphere, and the whole community experience,” said Donovan. “These partnerships are a win-win all around: campuses see students engaging and we help students find a passion for hospitality.”

Tangible Touchpoints for the Whole Student

This dedication to the whole student provides a true path to hospitality. To do this, Collegiate Hospitality has developed a vast library of programs, resources, and menus to meet students in comfort and health.

Students will find ever expanding allergen-friendly options on campus; Aramark Collegiate Hospitality has unveiled a new pantry concept that augments its already significant work in dietary safety. The stress less zone^™ provides additional foods for guests who have an allergy to gluten, peanuts, and/or tree nuts. This section, or zone, of the service area is dedicated solely to foods that meet strict guidelines and for which the manufacturer can confidently and legitimately claim the food is free from gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts. Except for select products—like sliced bread or breakfast cereals—all the zone offerings are in their original, unopened packaging. Guests can review the product ingredients clearly listed on the product label, and they can see brand names they know and trust.

“We strive to create a personalized dining experience for our students to navigate and flourish with at their campus home,” said Theresa Butler, Collegiate Hospitality Vice President for Student Experience. “We take our survey results and consequent trends identification very seriously, and it leads us to build hospitality programs that our community wants and that reward those who enjoy sharing meals with us.”

Beginning in the fall semester, Collegiate Hospitality will also offer a new customer engagement and loyalty program, Dining Rewards, to all students, faculty, and staff. Dining Rewards provides exclusive perks and benefits including birthday gifts, targeted promotional offers, and discounts on select programs. All the program requires is a simple email subscription via the dining website.

There is also a constant evolution of nutritious and sustainable menus—low carbon meals have been embraced by students, and commitments like these have driven recognition of Aramark as a leader in ecologically friendly dining. Students continue to indicate that they are very interested in menu choice, embracing flexitarian attitudes and an openness to plant-forward dining.

Aramark Collegiate Hospitality’s management team at Drexel University has partnered with Drexel Solutions Institute and Drexel Food Lab, a culinary innovation and food product research and development center housed within the University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. The Food Lab focuses on solving real-world food system challenges and applies culinary arts and science to improve the health of people, the planet, and economies. Drexel researchers are evaluating the impact of introducing menu items that further reduce carbon emissions while enhancing the guest’s culinary experience. In addition to menu innovations made by the Aramark team at Drexel, researchers collected a variety of data produced from a series of tests and interventions to determine the impact these modified menus had on consumer behaviors and satisfaction. Results of this study will be published this fall.

Technological Solutions for Today’s Students

Aramark is leveraging artificial intelligence to help students navigate the wealth of campus dining information available to them. Students can simply turn to Collegiate Hospitality’s chatbot—SAM—an enhanced virtual assistant on CampusDish websites. SAM can answer questions about dining and meal plans as well as direct users to the appropriate person or resource if additional information is needed.

Collegiate Hospitality is also removing friction from the convenience store shopping experience at campuses across the country. Whether students are shopping via self-checkout devices that leverage computer vision to instantly price a student’s basket or fully autonomous stores that utilize a combination of cameras and sensors, technology allows the location to operate 24 x 7, bringing access to the next level.

“When it is at its best, technology fits seamlessly into students' lives while simultaneously improving the experience by making things more tailored or more convenient," said Jonathan Duffy, Vice President of Technology and Innovation for Collegiate Hospitality. “One of students’ most precious commodities is time. These tech-driven solutions allow students to get the information and food that they need whenever they need it.”

An added benefit to the technology is that it adds to the human interaction and relationship building that Aramark Collegiate Hospitality prioritizes. The chatbot and the convenience store technology allows employees to not be behind a point of sale or behind a computer but to be available in the store or in the dining hall to interact with students.

About Aramark Collegiate Hospitality

Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is a premier provider for hospitality ecosystems in higher education, renowned for its commitment to the whole student and enhancing student life through exceptional culinary experiences and innovative dining solutions. With a presence in more than 275 colleges and universities, Collegiate Hospitality uses data driven consumer insights to curate experiences to meet the unique needs of each campus, fostering a vibrant community with diverse and inclusive dining offerings. This intentional integration of campus identity, world class hospitality, and professional opportunity provides a foundational path to student success. Connect with Collegiate Hospitality on LinkedIn.

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) has been recognized on FORTUNE’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies,” The Civic 50 by Points of Light 2024, Fair360’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” and “Top Companies for Black Executives,” Newsweek’s list of “America’s Most Responsible Companies 2024,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” and earned a score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram.

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