Welcome to the Future: Next-Generation Retail Dining on Campus
College campuses are evolving. Higher education continues finding new ways to leverage technology to support students and faculty. Campus dining is in the midst of a similar evolution, as technology enables exciting new ways to enjoy meals. A successful retail strategy must be built on innovative offers, such as those highlighted here, as well as robust technology that brings the entire dining experience together. Sodexo’s industry-leading retail programs are powered by a strong technology ecosystem.
Convenience is paramount for today’s students. Sodexo’s Student Lifestyle Survey found that 62% of students rank 24/7 access to food as the most important element of dining on campus. For students on meal plans, convenience and time saving are even more essential, with nearly 80% citing these as the most important benefits of a meal plan.
The right technology enables campuses to expand dining hours, provide more options and improve access to food. Sodexo is committed to providing creative dining solutions through an omni-channel consumer experience that blends the hottest culinary trends with cutting-edge technology to create seamless, flexible, convenient dining on campus.
Ghost Kitchens and Virtual Dining Concepts
Offering a wide variety of dining options on campus is essential to ensuring student satisfaction. Innovative new approaches, such as ghost kitchens and virtual dining concepts, make it easy to expand menus and substantially increase variety, even with limited operating space.
Delivery Robots
Sodexo partners with two leading companies, KiwiBot and Starship Technologies, to offer a unique self-driving delivery robot program that provides high-tech contactless delivery. A fleet of small, zero-emission autonomous robotic pods deliver food all over campus, enhancing convenience and adding a dash of fun to the dining experience.
Autonomous Restaurants
Through partnerships with innovative industry leaders, Sodexo is pioneering autonomous dining on college campuses. These high-tech systems combine the latest in robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and culinary arts to offer a novel new way to dine anywhere and at any time.
Campus Subscription Models
Meal kits and other food-focused subscriptions support students’ growing interest in preparing their own meals from fresh, delicious ingredients. These programs leverage digital technology to give busy students a convenient and consistent supply of delicious and easy-to-prepare meals.
Autonomous Groceraunts
Contactless shopping experiences are easy, convenient and safe. One example is eat> NOW, which offers fully autonomous retail with no lines or checkout stands. This cutting-edge model provides upscale shopping and dining experiences enabled by proprietary technology, including artificial intelligence and mobile applications.
