University of Minnesota

About This Project

The Pulse Group collaborated with the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to evaluate its existing foodservice management contract and provide a comparative analysis of the costs/benefits related to self-operation versus contract operation. Our work included:

• conducting qualitative research with various segments of the UMTC campus community;
• designing and implementing a campus dining survey covering multiple campuses;
• collecting and reviewing pertinent historical financial, operational and transactional performance data for more than 30 existing operations;
• developing best practices research for peer or aspirant institutions, and creating a comparative assessment based on a series of contract and self-operated case studies;
• and preparing a pro forma financial analysis for UMTC dining operations for a five-year period, considering both self-operated and contract operational formats.

Using the information developed, we made a number of financial, operational, service, marketing and technology recommendations connected to both contracted and self-operation formats, all with the aims of generating stronger demand, higher levels of customer satisfaction and better efficiencies.