Plum Market from C-store to Destination Dinning

College students food preference today reflect the undercurrent of migration from single channel meal focused buying too a multi-channel ‘share of stomach’ battle for food dollars, according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

Say goodbye to coffee shops, branded fast food restaurants Butler University's Plum Market has evolved and become the “lifeblood of any campus — coffee — by sourcing from local roasters according to Amanda McCorquodale.

Today’s consumers daypart meal choice is about convenience, price, portability, and quality according to Johnson.  When Butler University in Indianapolis “recently completed a makeover of its convenience store in its student union. Now dubbed Plum Market Kitchen at C-Club, the store and dining location is a more welcoming, brighter space with improved foot traffic flow.” Those are the basics.  

However here is what was the most important Plum Market tripled the grab-and-go items of anywhere else on campus, a wide range of grocery items that includes artisanal local goods and chef-driven menus with a focus on health aka ‘better-for-you’ menu items that are fresh prepared.

Out with the chains in with local and wider choice of food items for all day. Where Plum Market is today was once occupied by Taco Bell, Burger King and Papa Johns over the years. Each were liked by students but lacked the incremental daypart selection today’s consumers want.  Meals don’t have to be hot food, mix and match meal component options edify the relevance of the meal occasion.  Thus, driving incremental sales, visits, and satisfaction.  

Now that space via Plum Market features an “extensive salad bar; a fresh fruit smoothie station; a soup bar; grab-and-go wraps, salads, cheese boxes, fruit parfaits and fruit cups; and a made-to-order station of burgers, grilled cheese, chicken tenders and cage-free egg sandwiches, for example.”

Adam Raczkowski, business development & operations, Plum Market stated “While comfort food like fries and tenders are always a hit with students, Plum Market’s specialty items are also selling well. Our Impossible burger is quite popular as is our vegan caprese sandwich and our turkey, kale and Brussels sprout wrap,” said. “The recipes were developed over time by our chefs at Plum Market. Some of them were developed and enjoyed by students at Northwestern University where we have a similar concept.”

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869