West Campus Food Court:

A Recommendation Report

Prepared for: Samuel Waddell, Professor

Prepared by: Kelly Vetrano, Student

November 22, 2011

kvetrano@ycp.edu

2

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………. 3

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………..… 4

Research Methods …………………………………………………………………………….... 6

Results …………………………………………………………………………………………... 8

1. York College of Pennsylvania at a Glance …………...……………………………….… 8

2. Comparison with Other Colleges ……………………………...……………………….....9

3. Creating a Food Court on West Campus …………………………………………….… 10

4. Primary Research- Popularity of Spart’s Den and a Second Food Court …………….....10

5. The Costs of a Second Food Court……...……………………………………………….12

Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………..13

Recommendation ……………………………………………………………………………….14

References ………………………………………………………………………………………15

Appendix: Student Survey …………………………………………………………………….16

List of Illustrations

Tables

Table 1. Hours of Operation for the Dining Locations at York College …………………………8

Table 2. Meal Plan Options for Students Living On West Campus (except Little Run) …………9

Figures

Figure 1. How often the students surveyed eat at Spart’s Den ………………………………….10

Figure 2. Percent of students surveyed who stay up late at night and that get hungry when they

stay awake late …………………………………………………………………………..11

Figure 3. Percent of students that would spend their money at a second food court ……………11

3

Executive Summary

York College of Pennsylvania is a great college that educates many students. These students

have a lot of benefits available to them, including a variety of different food options. There are

different dining options on campus that students can use all throughout the day and night;

however, there are not a lot of opportunities for students living on west campus to get fresh food

late at night. There is only one dining hall located on west campus which does not stay open too

late, so if students living on west campus desire fresh food late at night, they either have to go

over to main campus or leave campus entirely. Creating a new food court on west campus that

stays open late, just like Spart’s Den on main campus, could solve this problem on west campus

and benefit many students.

I researched the option of building a second food court located on west campus to see if it would

solve this problem and be a good plan for York College. I came up with certain criteria it would

need to have, and I researched what York College has now when it comes to the food options. I

also researched other colleges of about the same size, and I did primary research by creating a

survey for students and by interviewing the director of dining. By consulting online resources

and talking to people around campus, I determined whether a food court on west campus would

solve this problem and be beneficial to the school.

After analyzing the data I collected, I recommend that the school take no action and make no

changes to the dining system. It would be very nice to have a food court open late on west

campus, and it would benefit many students; however, the cost effectiveness of it as well as the

revenue it would bring in does not make it worthwhile. It probably would not bring in any profit

at all. There is no guarantee students would go and spend money there, and there are currently

other options for students to get fresh food late at night. My recommendation of no change seems

to be the best option for this problem occurring on west campus.

4

Introduction

York College of Pennsylvania has many different food options for the students on campus. There

are two dining halls and smaller places around main campus to eat including Spart’s Den, which

stays open later than most other food places on campus. There are quite a few options when it

comes to eating on main campus; however, there is only one place to eat on west campus and

that is the west campus dining hall. Like most dining halls, it closes around 8:00 at night during

the week and even earlier on weekends. I believe that there is room for improvement when it

comes to the dining options on west campus. There is currently no place open late to get fresh

food on west campus; students’ main options, if they desire food late, are to walk all the way to

main campus for Spart’s Den, walk to Rutter’s, have food delivered, or drive somewhere else

entirely.

Currently, there are quite a few students that are up late at night, not only on weekends but

during the week as well. Occasionally, they want food, and not just snack food that they have

lying around their apartment, but freshly cooked food. Spart’s Den is a popular place on main

campus, and students go there often for food. If a second Spart’s Den food court was opened on

west campus, I feel like it could be very beneficial to the students who live there, and that it may

generate just as much revenue as the one already on main campus. It would certainly give the

students living in the apartments or houses on west campus more food options at different hours

of the day and night. It would greatly benefit students living in the Little Run apartments that do

not have kitchens in their apartments to cook food. This would provide York’s students with

healthier options and fresh food and keep students safer by not having them walk around late at

night. They would also be able to use more dining points rather than spending cash or using too

many swipes at the dining halls. Finally, a food court on west campus would not only help the

students, but possibly the college as well. It will cost quite a bit of money to get a place like this

set up and running and there will be maintenance costs; however, it will generate money after it

is open from students, and it will also provide more students on campus with jobs, which is

important as well.

Considering this problem of late night food options on west campus, I looked into the different

dining halls and food places here at York College and their hours and food options. I then

researched other college campuses that are about the same size and have about the same student

population as York College. I looked into their food options and the hours and locations of their

dining facilities to compare them to York’s. I also created a survey for students living on west

campus to determine how often they currently go to Spart’s Den or Rutter’s late at night and if

students would even be interested in having a food court open late on west campus. Finally, I

looked into the cost of creating a second food court that stays open late and comparing that cost

to the potential profit it would bring in from people buying food there to see if it would even be

worth it.

5

I concluded that having a food court that stays open late on west campus would be beneficial to

some students; however, the best course of action would be to make no changes at all. York

College is a relatively small school and seems to have a normal amount of food options when

compared to other colleges of about the same size. There would be a lot of positive outcomes

from having a food court open late on west campus, but the cost of building, running, and

maintaining that food court would be more than it is worth. There is no guarantee that students

would go often enough to help it generate a profit, and the last thing York College should do is

waste money on something that will only be used every so often. Money is important and should

be used to help students in a more effective way. I therefore recommend that no course of action

is taken. There are options for students to get food late if they really wanted to, and although a

food court on west campus that is open late would be more convenient, it is not worth all of the

time and effort by the college.

In the following sections, I provide my research methods and results, as well as my conclusions

and how I came to the recommendation of making no changes to the current dining system here

at York College of Pennsylvania.

6

Research Methods

To better understand the problem of the dining options on west campus, I did a lot of research.

1. The first thing I did was see what York has now when it comes to food. Using the York

College website, I researched the different dining halls and Spart’s Den, their current

hours of operation, and the types of food provided. I also looked into the different meal

plan/dining point options available to students to determine how they are able to pay for

food at the different places. This helped me by showing what options the students

currently have, and it allowed me to further research how to possibly make them better or

keep them the same. I looked up information on Rutter’s since that is another option for

York students to get food, especially for those living on west campus.

2. I then did some online research to look at other colleges that have approximately the

same student population as York and that have campuses that are about the same size. I

looked to see how many places there are to eat on those college campuses and the hours

of operation for all of those places. This helped me compare York to other colleges and to

see if a second food court-type place with later hours is necessary on west campus.

3. Next I identified my options, which include either creating a Spart’s Den-like food court

on west campus or leaving the dining situation the way it currently is. I also determined

the criteria used to evaluate each option.

Creating a food court on west campus. Creating this food court would allow

students living on west campus to get fresh food somewhere other than the dining

hall. It would have to stay open late, since that is what is really causing this

problem on west campus, and it would also have to serve good, healthy food that

people would buy and enjoy. There would have to be students or other people

willing to work there late at night and money available to pay them. The most

important factor or criteria is the cost; it would have to generate enough money.

This food court would have to create a profit otherwise there is no point in having

it. If the money is spent to build it, keep it running, maintaining it, and paying the

employees, students would have to go there and spend money. If not enough

students go often enough, then there will be no point in having more than one

food court on campus.

No change. Students would have to continue getting food late at night the way

they do now. They would either have to make their own food if they have a

kitchen, walk over to Rutter’s, or go over to main campus for Spart’s Den. There

would be no costs with this option.

7

4. After determining my two main options, I evaluated them further. I did some primary

research by creating a survey that questions about 10% of the students currently living on

west campus. In my survey, I had to ask the students questions about how often they go

to the dining halls vs. Spart’s Den, how late they usually stay up at night doing

homework or studying, and if they ever want fresh food when they are up late. I also had

to determine how many students are actually willing to/do go to Rutter’s or walk all the

way to main campus or wait for the shuttle just for food late at night. I had to find out if a

majority of the students surveyed would agree with and like the idea of having a Spart’s

Den-like food court on west campus and if they would even go and spend their money

there. I also observed the number of students now who get food from Spart’s Den

whenever I am there. I am there occasionally during the week and sometimes later at

night, and I always look to see how many students are there or how busy it is for

comparison.

5. I also talked to Robert Floccari, the director of dining here at York College, about the

costs of creating a second food court that stays open late on west campus. We discussed

the current retail options at the college, including Spart’s Den, Appell Café, and Pura

Vida, their budget, and their costs and profits. He gave me a lot of information on a place

like Spart’s Den, how it operates economically, and what would have to be done to create

a second place on west campus with late operating hours.

6. Finally, I analyzed all of my research and data and decided on the recommendation of not

making any changes.

8

Results

In this section, I will present my findings and the results of my research. These results

correspond with the different steps in the Research Methods section. I cover everything from

York’s current dining situation, the dining situations at other colleges similar to York, the

potential popularity of a food court on west campus that stays open late, and the costs of it.

1. York College of Pennsylvania at a Glance

York College of Pennsylvania is a private college with about 4,600 full-time undergraduate

students and 300 graduate students. Fifty percent of students live in college-owned housing

and the school sits on a 190-acre campus. Currently, York has five different locations where

students can get food. These include Johnson Dining Hall, West Campus Community Center

Commissary, Spart’s Den Food Court, Appell Café, and Pura Vida Café.

Hours of Operation

Dining Location Days of the Week Hours

Johnson Dining Hall Monday-Friday Saturday-Sunday

7:00am-8:00pm 10:00am-6:00pm

West Campus Monday-Friday Saturday-Sunday

7:00am-8:30pm 10:00am-6:30pm

Spart’s Den Monday-Friday Saturday-Sunday

10:30am-12:00am 4:00pm-12:00am

Appell Café Monday-Thursday Friday Saturday-Sunday

7:00am-8:30pm 7:00am-2:30pm

Closed

Pura Vida Café Monday-Thursday Friday Saturday-Sunday

7:00am-8:30pm 7:00am-2:30pm

Closed

Table 1. Hours of Operation for the Dining Locations at York College

Johnson Dining Hall and the West Campus Dining hall both have breakfast, lunch, and

dinner options at different times of the day, and they are both “all-you-care-to-eat dining.”

Spart’s Den has Tex Mex, or Mexican food, subs, salads, and grab-n-go food. Appell Café

9

sells Seattle’s best coffee, Au Bon Pain soups, fresh baked goods, and snacks. Finally, Pura

Vida Café has certified organic shade grown coffees, Panini sandwiches, Au Bon Pain soups,

fresh baked goods, salads, and snacks. There is a wide range of different foods students can

get at York College.

There are also many different meal plan options available for upper-class students living in

apartments on west campus. Only the students living in Little Run are required to get a full

meal plan because they do not have a kitchen; however, every other student living on west

campus with a kitchen can choose which meal plan will work for them (see Figure 2). The

number of meals are used to swipe students into Johnson or the West Campus dining halls,

and the dining points can be used just like money at any of the dining locations on campus.

Meal Plan Options

Number of meals Dining Points Price

Unlimited $100 $2,500

225 $125 $2,090

225 $0 $1,965

165 $250 $1,965

125 $75 $1,195

75 $50 $740

50 $30 $500

Table 2. Meal Plan Options for Students Living On West Campus (except Little Run)

Rutter’s is also available to all York College students. It is located right on Richland Ave.

and is open 24/7. It also accepts York College flex money, so students do not even need to

carry cash there, they can use whatever money they have in their account which is available

by using their student ID’s.

2. Comparison with Other Colleges

I researched other colleges that are about the same size and have close to the same student

population as York College. After researching, I compared these colleges’ dining locations

and hours with York’s to see if it would make sense to add another food court open late on

campus.

University of Hartford – University of Hartford has about 4,800 students, which is a

little more than York; however, it has about the same amount if dining locations with

almost the same hours. The latest food location is open until 11:00pm.

Molloy College – Molloy College has 4,400 students and only has two different

dining locations on campus. These two also have hours the same as York’s locations.

Monmouth University – Monmouth University is on a 154-acre campus and has

approximately 4,700 students, similar to York. There are four different locations on

10

campus to get food that sell things like coffee and bagels, which is also similar to

York.

Lehigh University – Lehigh University has 4,781 undergraduate students and a few

dining halls; however, there is only one food court in the University Center.

3. Creating a Food Court on West Campus

Like Spart’s Den now, students living on west campus would have another option for getting

fresh food. If they did not feel like cooking, eating in the dining hall, or the dining hall was

already closed, upper-classmen could have Spart’s Den-like food without actually having to

go all the way over to main campus. It would have to stay open later, which would allow for

students to get fresh food late at night without having to go too far to get it, and it would keep

students safer by not having them walk as far at night. The food would have to be similar to

Spart’s Den so that there are diverse options, healthy options, and freshly cooked food.

Finally, with a new food court opening, people would have to work there, so it would provide

more on-campus jobs for students.

4. Primary Research- Popularity of Spart’s Den and a Second Food Court

Before building a second food court on west campus, it is important to determine how many

students would even take advantage of having it there. The survey I created gave me a lot of

information about the students living on west campus and their preferences for another food

option (see Appendix, page 16). I learned very quickly that students do eat at Spart’s Den,

but no one eats there very often and quite a few students never eat there at all (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. How often the students surveyed eat at Spart’s Den

I then asked these students if they liked the food options at Spart’s Den to see if it would

even be worth it to put the same food in another location on campus, and 80% said yes while

20% said no, they do not like the food.

Very often 0%

Often 10%

Occasionally 45%

Rarely 30%

Never 15%

How often do you eat at Spart's Den?

11

I determined that the majority of the students surveyed are up late at night at least

occasionally and that when they are up late, they tend to get hungry (see Figure 2).

Blue: students who stay up late; Red: students who get hungry

Figure 2. Percent of students surveyed who stay up late at night and who get hungry

when they stay awake late.

The majority of students surveyed, about 55%, said that they never walk over to main

campus just for Spart’s Den, and 20% said that they rarely do, showing how clearly not too

many people are willing to go all the way to main campus just for food. However, 45% said

that they occasionally walk over to Rutter’s for food.

Finally, I asked the students if they would like to have a second food court on west campus.

80% said yes while 20% said no. I then asked if they would go and spend money at a second

food court on west campus if it existed, since there is no use having it if no one goes (see

Figure 3).

Figure 3. Percent of students that would spend their money at a second food court

0

10

20

30

40

50

Very often Often Occasionally Rarely Never

% of Students Who Stay up Late and Get Hungry

Yes 35%

Sometimes 50%

No 15%

Would Students Spend Money at a Second Food Court on West Campus?

12

When I am at Spart’s Den I always notice how many people are there. During the school

week, I notice a lot of people there in between classes grabbing food quickly. However, the

few times I’ve been there late at night, there are usually not too many people there. People

come every once in a while, but there’s usually not an abundance of students at Spart’s Den

late at night every night.

5. The Costs of a Second Food Court

After talking with Robert Floccari, the director of dining at the college, I learned a lot about

how having a second food court would affect the college and about how much money would

be needed. The first thing I discovered, which is very important, is that the retail options at

York, including Spart’s Den, Pura Vida, and Appell Café, are budgeted to lose money and do

lose money every year. They do not generate a lot of profit for the college and are really only

there for convenience to the students. There is a lot of money lost in their operation, and they

do not add more revenue. According to Mr. Floccari, no retail makes money here. Right now,

the convenience store currently on west campus is struggling to make money, and there is a

lot of competition with Rutter’s right across the street.

If a second retail food court was to be opened, a lot of money would be spent creating it, and

not a lot of money would come from it, just like the others. Mr. Floccari said that another

retail operation will not sustain revenue. He said that on a weekly basis the school would

have to transfer funds from the two current dining halls to retail operations, and even then a

second food court would only work if it was strictly cash and charge or if the numbers of

meal plans students have increased significantly to support another operation without costing

more money.

Finally, we discussed how many employees would be needed to run this new place if it was

created. According to Mr. Floccari, a second food court would need about seven full time

employees making $10 an hour and work about 32 weeks per year. Thirty-eight percent

would also have to be taken for taxes and benefits. It would probably have the same manager

that currently runs Spart’s Den. However, Mr. Floccari said that it would still need around

$10,000 a week in sales to break even.

(R. Floccari, Personal Communication, November 22, 2011)

13

Conclusions

A food court that stays open late located on west campus sounds like a great idea. Many

students would love to have it, and it would be very convenient for all of the students living

on west campus. However, after analyzing all of my research results, I determined that it is

not necessary to have. It may even be a waste of money to install a second food court on

campus and keep it running.

York College offers plenty of different meal options for students living on west campus. If a

student wants to get food, they could swipe into one of the two dining halls or use dining

points at any of the other food locations on campus. Students are able to choose which meal

plan works best for them and their schedule. There is also Rutter’s right across the street

from many of the apartments on west campus. It is always open and takes York’s flex

money. The different food locations offer a variety of foods and are almost always open

during the day, except for Appell Café and Pura Vida which are closed on weekends. Spart’s

Den is always open late and so is Rutter’s if a student ever desires food late and does not

want to cook for themselves. Students currently have a lot of options for food at all hours of

the day, and even if nothing on campus is open, most students living on west campus have

kitchens to cook for themselves or they can even order food in from food places that stay

open late. A food court on west campus that stays open late would be very nice, but not

necessary for the students living on west campus; they have multiple options if they desire

food.

Other colleges that are about the same size as York College have similar food situations.

After researching a few other schools, I learned that most do not have too many food

locations on campus, and if they have any that are open late, it is usually only one. Some

colleges, like Molloy College, only have two options compared to our five, and they have the

same type of hours. Students at other colleges do just fine without multiple food courts that

stay open late. A second one here would probably seem excessive and is not needed.

A food court on west campus would allow students to have food closer to them and make it

safer to get to; however, all of the food options on or around campus now are already safe.

For most students on west campus, the walk to main is relatively safe considering they walk

down residential streets with lighting. There are also blue lights all around campus for

students to press and get help if they feel unsafe. The campus shuttle runs late at night, so if

students don’t feel safe walking in the dark, they can always wait for the shuttle to take them

to main campus for Spart’s Den. Rutter’s is also right across the street, and there is a

crosswalk at a traffic light so students can cross the street to Rutter’s safely. Also, if students

do not want to go out late to get fresh food, they don’t have to. Spart’s Den can wrap up food

for students so they can take it to go. A student can always pick up food during the day, get it

14

wrapped up, and bring it home to eat later on. Finally, if there was a second food court on

campus, York would have to find people to work there, especially late at night, and college

students should not have to work late at night when they have classes and other

responsibilities.

Students also would not go to this food court as often as many people think. Right now, only

10% of students surveyed say they eat at Spart’s Den often, and 30% said they rarely do. A

lot of students admit to being up late many nights during the week and getting hungry when

they are up late; however, only about half of the people surveyed said that they would

sometimes spend their money at another food court on west campus. A lot of students like

the food at Spart’s Den, but most do not walk over to main campus just for food from there,

and 45% occasionally walk over to Rutter’s. Although 80% of students surveyed said that

they would like a Spart’s Den-like food court on west campus, there is no guarantee that

students would go often and spend enough money there for it to generate a profit.

A second food court would cost too much money. The current food court, along with other

food places, is already losing money, so adding a second would be a waste. It would use too

much money from the budget that is needed for the other food locations since they are

struggling. More money would be needed to pay many new employees as well, so in the end

a second food court that students may not even go to often is not worth all of the money that

would be spent on it.

Recommendation

I recommend making no changes to the current dining situation at this time. A second food

court on west campus with hours of operation and food similar to Spart’s Den is not required

or needed. All of my research suggests that it would be nice to have, but not necessary, so

having the college spend the money on it would be a waste. The money could be better spent

elsewhere. Students are aware of all the different options available to them when it comes to

obtaining food at all hours of the day, and they know if they want food late, there are certain

ways to get it that don’t involve constructing and constantly maintaining a second food court

closer to their apartments.

15

References

Lehigh University. Lehigh University, 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

<http://www4.lehigh.edu/default.aspx>.

Molloy College. Molloy College, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.molloy.edu/>.

Monmouth University. Monmouth University, 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.monmouth.edu/>.

Rutter's. Rutter's Corporation, 2011. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. <http://rutters62.com/>.

University of Hartford. University of Hartford, 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.hartford.edu/>.

York College of Pennsylvania. York College of Pennsylvania, 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.ycp.edu/>.

16

Appendix: Student Survey

This is a copy of the survey I asked students currently enrolled at York College of

Pennsylvania. I received 100 completed surveys.

West Campus Food Court

1. Do you live on West Campus at York College of PA?

Yes- 70% No- 30%

2. Do you have a kitchen in your apartment/house?

Yes- 70% No- 30%

3. How often do you eat at Spart’s Den?

Very often-0% Often-10% Occasionally-45% Rarely-30% Never-15%

4. Do you like the food options at Spart’s Den?

Yes-80% No-20%

5. Are you up late many nights during the week?

Very often-20% Often-40% Occasionally-35% Rarely-5% Never-0%

6. Do you get hungry late at night when you are awake?

Very often-15% Often-45% Occasionally-30% Rarely-10% Never-0%

7. How often do you walk over to main campus just for Spart’s Den (or wait for the

shuttle)?

Very often-0% Often-0% Occasionally-25% Rarely-20% Never-55%

8. How often do you walk to Rutter’s for food?

Very often-10% Often-10% Occasionally-45% Rarely-5% Never-30%

9. Would you like a Spart’s Den-like food court located on West Campus?

Yes-80% No-20%

10. Would you go and spend money at another Spart’s Den-type place on West

Campus?

Yes-35% Sometimes-50% No-15%