Yummy in
My Tummy:
Cafeteria Study
April 29, 2009
Mr. Pat Creosote
Director of Cafeteria Services
AJ Industries
Subject: Report on the results of the Yummy in My Tummy (YMT) cafeteria survey
Dear Mr. Creosote:
We are pleased to present you with a report on the results of the Yummy in My Tummy cafeteria
survey. This report was prepared in accordance to the research proposal/contract that was
submitted to you in March 2009.
As predicted, the report indicates that patrons are not dining frequently in the cafeteria. The
report recommends that to entice people to eat at the YMT cafeteria, a new range of fast food
restaurants should be introduced. Our suggestion is to offer a range of such restaurants. All the
restaurants should have quality food and offer it at a reasonable price. Quality and price were
found to be the most important to customers when selecting a restaurant.
Via an intercept method at a central location, 100 surveys were gathered from a representative
sample. The survey sought information pertaining to customer behavior, values, restaurant
attributes, customer preferences, and customer demographics.
The results of this survey can be used to make preliminary decisions regarding inclusion of new
restaurants in YMT cafeterias. I would like to thank you for your assistance in completing this
research.
Sincerely,
Bobby Bob
Bob Bobby
Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal
X
Managerial Summary
1
Statement of Research
2
Background
2
Purpose
2
Objectives
2
Benefactors
2
Research design & Methodology
2
Results
3
Consumer Behavior
Restaurant Attributes
Consumer Preferences
Demographics
Limitations
9
Recommendations
9
Appendix A (Questionnaire)
10
Appendix B (Frequency Tables)
14
MANAGERIAL SUMMARY
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Forty-six percent of respondents said they eat in the cafeteria less than once a month and
of that percentage, 26% of respondents said that they never dine in the cafeteria, though 32% of
respondents dine there 1-2 times a week. These data suggest there is a problem with the present
facility.
When reviewing the responses to the frequency of dining in specific restaurants, the mean
values indicate that McDonald’s is most frequently dined at with a mean of 4.08, which is
equivalent to twice a month on average. Not far behind, with a mean of 3.83 is Wendy’s. Next,
in order, Subway and KFC are closely related having a mean of 3.1 and 3.0, respectively. These
means indicate that frequency of visits is on average roughly once a month.
RESTAURANT ATTRIBUTES
Through correlation analysis, it was concluded that the attributes that most influenced
whether or not respondents dined at the cafeteria were the quality of the food and the pricing. On
the other hand, the atmosphere and speed of service had the least impact on the frequency that
respondents dined in the cafeteria. Also, there was a high frequency of respondents not satisfied
with the selection available.
The restaurant qualities favored by the respondents were quality of food and price.
Respondents said they prefer the quality of food offered by KFC, Pizza Hut, and Subway. The
price of McDonald’s and Wendy’s is the favored aspect. In relation to their low frequencies, it
was unsurprising that respondents said they liked nothing about Burger King and Taco Bell.
CONSUMER PREFERENCES
The respondents said that they would be most likely to dine at the cafeteria if there were a
Wendy’s, Subway, McDonald’s, or KFC. Even if there was a Taco Bell or Pizza Hut,
respondents would be 43.0% and 42.7%, respectively, more likely to dine in the cafeteria. The
only restaurant, if located in the cafeteria, that respondents said that they would me more
unlikely than likely to dine in was Burger King, with 46.4%. With these data, we can conclude
that if any of the fast food restaurants that respondents were asked about were located in the
cafeteria more customers would dine there more frequently.
CONCLUSIONS
With the data collected from the surveys, it can be concluded that the overall satisfaction
with the cafeteria is poor as indicated by the infrequency of patronage of respondents at YMT.
Respondents hold quality and price at the top of their lists when choosing a restaurant and would
like to see a change in the cafeteria without compromising quality or price. A variety of
restaurants are favored over the present facility.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is our recommendation that a Wendy’s, Subway, and/or McDonald’s replace the
current cafeteria. A combination of the three would be the most productive, but any one of them
would produce higher sales by an increase in the volume of customers served as well as the
frequency at which they purchase.
STATEMENT OF RESEARCH
BACKGROUND
Yummy in My Tummy (YMT) cafeteria is operated by the YMT Corporation; it is
opened for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Monday through Friday. Its daily specials consist of a
meat, vegetables, and dessert in addition to the common menu items (e.g., hamburgers, grilled
cheese sandwich, chicken, wings, fries, and onion rings). We devised a survey to better
understand how consumers felt about the cafeteria; the data gathered will help YMT better
position its cafeteria in the marketplace.
PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH
The general purpose of this study is to determine YMT target market’s perception of the
food offered at YMT cafeteria. In doing so, it will help to determine the success of modifying
YMT dining facilities. For example, should fast food chains be incorporated in the YMT
business model? A careful review of these areas led to the identification of the following specific
research objectives:
 To determine the target market’s attitude towards eating at YMT.
 To determine what fast food restaurants the target market frequents.
 To identify the extent that the target market dines at specific fast food restaurants.
 To determine which fast food restaurants the target market likes most when dining
out.
 To identify why the target market frequents certain fast food restaurants.
 To determine whether or not the target market would dine at YMT facility more
frequently if fast food chains replaced the present cafeteria.
BENEFACTORS
The results of this survey can be used by the appropriate YMT operators to design a
larger scale survey as well as to make preliminary decisions about bringing in new restaurants to
the YMT cafeteria.
RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODOLOGY
This research design was exploratory and data were collected via survey methods. A
structured questionnaire was used because it is an inexpensive, convenient, and efficient way of
collecting a large and varied amount of information from the target market pertaining to their
dining behavior and preferences. The survey design included a variety of close-ended questions
related to the research objectives (see Appendix A). After receiving feedback from the pre-tests,
explicit instructions were added to the matrix questions; revising questions also occurred to
clarify their meaning.
Convenience sampling was used in the selection of the respondents (N=100). The survey
was distributed via intercept points at YMT; however, not all of the survey questions contained a
response and some questions were answered incorrectly (i.e., more than one response was
given), which made such responses unusable. SPSS was used to analyze the data; frequency and
cross tabulation data were examined. These data offered insight to a number of pertinent areas,
including customer behavior and preferences, favored restaurant attributes, and demographics.
RESULTS
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
YMT Cafeteria
Frequency: Most respondents (32%) answered that they dined in the YMT cafeteria “1-2 times a
week.” The second most frequent response was answered by 26% of respondents who said they
“Never” dine in the YMT cafeteria. In general, this question indicates that 46.9% dine in the
YMT cafeteria once a month or less, while only 53.1% dine there more than twice a month. (See
Graph 1.1)
# of Respondents
Frequency of dining in AWC Cafeteria
35
28
21
14
7
0
32
26
17
10
12
Respondents
3
Frequency
Graph 1.1
Fast Food Restaurants (see Table 1.1 and 1.2 in Appendix B)
Graph 1.2 at the end of this section provides a view of the frequency at which
respondents dine at the specified fast food restaurants.
Burger King
Frequency: For Burger King, most respondents, 54%, said that they eat there less than once a
month; of that 54%, 28% said that they never dine there. In relation to other fast food
establishments, Burger King had a low mean, 2.71, indicating a low frequency of dining.
KFC
Frequency: For KFC, most respondents, 42.4%, said that they eat there less than once a month;
of that 42.4%, 17% said that they never dine there. KFC averaged a 3.0 mean, indicating that
respondents on average choose KFC once a month.
McDonald’s
Frequency: Respondents indicated that 27.3% dine at McDonald’s twice a month and 25.3% dine
there 1-2 times a week. This is clear when viewing the mean, 4.08, which indicates that on
average, respondents dine there twice a month. It is important to note that this is the highest
mean showing and that it is the most frequented fast food establishment.
Pizza Hut
Frequency: A majority of respondents, 55.2%, answered that they have Pizza Hut less than once
a month; of that 55.2%, 26% said that they never eat Pizza Hut. Reviewing the mean reinforces
the above findings. Pizza Hut, with a mean of 2.59, had the lowest mean indicating that it is the
least frequented of the various fast food restaurants.
Subway
Frequency: The most frequent response seen when asked how often they eat Subway was twice a
month with 28.1%. Subway’s mean, 3.10, indicates a moderate to high frequency.
Taco Bell
Frequency: A majority of respondents, 50%, answered that they choose Taco Bell less than once
a month; of that 50%, 23% said that they never eat Taco Bell. Another low mean, 2.8, indicates
that respondents frequent Taco Bell on average less than once a month.
Wendy’s
Frequency: 30% of respondents eat at Wendy’s 1-2 times a week, followed closely by 22% who
dine twice a month. Wendy’s had the second highest mean, 3.83, indicating that respondents eat
there an average of almost twice a month.
Respondents Frequency of Dining (%)
Percentage (%)
15
10.1
10
10
3+ times a Week
5.1
5
2.1
3.1
2
0
Restaurant Options
Graph 1.2
RESTAURANT ATTRIBUTES
YMT Cafeteria
Satisfaction: Cross-tab analysis indicated that there are very low correlations between how
satisfied respondents are with the atmosphere, speed of service, and selection available in the
cafeteria and the frequency at which they dine there. In other words, we found that even as the
respondents’ satisfaction rate of these attributes changed, their frequency of dining did not
change. The attributes that held moderate correlations were the quality of the food and the price.
This implies that the more or less satisfied respondents are with the quality of the food and the
price, the more or less frequently they dine in the cafeteria, respectively.
When frequencies are examined, there were a meaningful number of respondents who
were indifferent to many of the attributes in question. However, the areas with the most
satisfaction were the quality of food available, the speed of service, and the atmosphere. When
asked about the food selection, 41.4% of respondents said that they were somewhat or not at all
satisfied with the food selection available in the cafeteria. Pricing was another area where
respondents were not very satisfied. Here, 44.4% of respondents indicated that they were either
somewhat or not at all satisfied. These frequencies indicate that YMT patrons are not satisfied
with the pricing or the selection available in the cafeteria. This indicates that there is room for
other restaurants and that a combination of restaurants would most likely be successful in order
to satisfy the customer’s need for variety. (See Table 2.1 in Appendix B)
Fast Food Restaurants (see Table 2.2 in Appendix B)
Respondents were asked which attribute they liked the most about the following:
Burger King
Preference: For Burger King, 38.8% of respondents said that they like “nothing” about Burger
King. But the next two choices were “quality of food” (23.5%) and “price” (16.3%).
KFC
Preference: For KFC, 53.1% of respondents indicated that they like the “quality of food” KFC
offers.
McDonald’s
Preference: McDonald’s results showed that “price” is the respondent’s top attribute, with 45.9%
selecting it as their choice.
Pizza Hut
Preference: Again, quality of food was the most liked quality. Pizza Hut had 43.6% of
respondents choose their “quality of food” as their best attribute.
Subway
Preference: “Quality of food” ranked as Subway’s top attribute receiving 45.8% of respondents’
vote. It is also important to note that “selection” was 22.9% of respondents’ choice.
Taco Bell
Preference: Of the respondents, 28.6%, answered that they like “nothing” about Taco Bell.
Because this is not an overwhelming amount it is necessary to review the other responses. There
was a relatively close distribution among those who chose “price,” “selection,” “quality of food,”
and “speed of service” as their most liked attribute.
Wendy’s
Preference: Exactly half of those who were asked responded that they most like the “price”
offered by Wendy’s. The “quality of food” earned 21% of the respondents’ choice.
CONSUMER PREFERENCES
One of our research objectives was to determine whether or not another restaurant would
be more successful than the cafeteria if added to YMT. To determine respondents’ preferences
in fast food restaurants, they were asked how likely they would be to dine in the cafeteria given a
choice of the various fast food restaurants. The results from this question could aid in any future
plans for development of the cafeteria. The hypothesis tested is that if customers were more
pleased with the choice(s) available, there would be an increase in the volume of patrons dining
there, as well as an increase in the frequency at which they dine. Our results indicate that that
over half of the respondents would be more “likely” (at least) to dine in the cafeteria if there
were a Wendy’s, Subway, McDonald’s, or KFC. If there was a Pizza Hut or Taco Bell, only 40%
of respondents said that they would be more “likely” (at least) to dine in the cafeteria. Although
some of the fast food restaurants may not be frequented or favored by respondents, they would
be more “likely” to dine in YMT if these establishments were located within YMT.
Percentage (%)
Likeliness to Dine
80%
60%
40%
At least "Likely"
20%
0%
Restaurant Options
Graph 3.1
Graph 3.1 above shows the percentage of respondents who would be at least more likely
to dine in the cafeteria if the fast food restaurants were available. Table 3.1 in Appendix B can be
referenced for exact figures.
By reviewing frequency figures, means, and modes gathered from respondents’ choices
when asked to rank the restaurants according to what they would most like to see in the cafeteria,
we found that Subway was the overall top choice. The most frequently appearing data were 1;
that, in conjunction with a low median of 2 and the lowest mean of 3.02, indicate that a majority
of respondents’ top choice Subway (to be located within YMT). But, also with a mode of 1, were
Wendy’s and McDonald’s. KFC was next followed by Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Burger King,
respectively. Graph 3.2 below gives a picture indicating the frequency at which each restaurant
was chosen first. Table 3.2 in Appendix B shows all related means, medians, and modes.
Restaurants Ranked #1
Burger King
21
4
KFC
12
McDonald's
5
20
Pizza Hut
Subway
31
5
Taco Bell
Wendy's
Graph 3.2
DEMOGRAPHICS
Classification
Regarding class standing, 55.7% were seniors, 28.9% were juniors, 7.2% were sophomores,
5.2% were graduate students, and 3.1% were freshmen; 89.9% were business majors.
Residence
Most respondents (70%) do not live on campus.
Travel
Because of the high percentage of students who are juniors or seniors and who do not live on
campus, we expected most students to drive; in fact, 83.8% drive a vehicle.
Payment
Of those surveyed, 68.8% said that they pay for their food in the cafeteria by cash. Because of
the small percentage of respondents that live on campus, it would not be expected that many
would pay by a meal plan (although any student can purchase a meal plan regardless of
residence). Those paying with a meal plan made up 21.5% of respondents.
Gender
For gender, 52% were female and 48% were male.
Age
Of those surveyed, the median age range was “20-21,” which consisted of 46.9%. Next were
those “22-23,” with 29.6% of respondents. Finally, 9.2% said that they were “24-25.”
Income
For income, 52.1% of respondents make “under $15,000” annually. The next range also had a
substantial amount of responses: 19.8% earn “$15,000-$24,999.” The rest of the responses were
as follows: 8.3% earn “$25,000-$34,999,” 7.3% earn “$35,000-$44,999,” 2.1% earn “$45,000$59,999,” and 10.4% earn “$60,000 or more,”
Ethnicity
For ethnicity, 83.2% of respondents were Black, 9.5% were Caucasian, 1.1% were Hispanic, and
6.3% replied “Other.”
LIMITATIONS
This research is not without limitations. Because convenience sampling was used in the
selection of survey respondents, the results may be biased and contain measurement error. More
specifically, some surveys were distributed in or around the cafeteria. Another bias could be that
three of the restaurants in question are located nearby YMT. Respondents who have or are living
on campus may have skewed opinions of these three restaurants because of their frequent
subjection to them. Although all surveys were returned, not all were filled out completely and
correctly (for example, many respondents did not answer an important open-ended question and
when asked to select a favorite restaurant attribute, and some respondents marked all that
applied).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Our conclusion is that the sample is not satisfied with YMT, and therefore do not dine
there frequently. One of the main points of dissatisfaction seems to be the lack of selection in the
cafeteria. It also was found that students are sensitive to pricing and the quality of food, not only
in the cafeteria but in other restaurants as well. It was found that students most often eat at
McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, and KFC, respectively. The respondent’s favorite attributes of
these restaurants, quality of food and price ranked highest. The survey results indicate that if any
of the seven restaurants in this survey were to replace the present cafeteria, respondents would be
more likely to dine there. When asked which restaurant they would like to replace YMT, most
respondents said Subway, closely followed by Wendy’s and McDonalds’s. Our recommendation
is that the present cafeteria be restructured to offer a wider selection of food. More specifically,
we suggest that a Subway, Wendy’s, or McDonald’s replace YMT.
APPENDIX A – QUESTIONNAIRE (YMT CAFETERIA)
PLEASE CHECK THE BOX NEXT TO THE ANSWER THAT BEST CORRESPONDS WITH YOUR RESPONSE.
1. How often do you eat at YMT cafeteria?
 3 or more times a week
 1-2 times a week
 twice a month
 once a month
 less than once a month
 never
(6)
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
2. How satisfied are you with the food quality available in the cafeteria?
 very satisfied
(1)
 satisfied
(2)
 neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3)
 somewhat not satisfied
(4)
 not at all satisfied
(5)
3. How satisfied are you with the speed of service available in the cafeteria?
 very satisfied
(1)
 satisfied
(2)
 neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3)
 somewhat not satisfied
(4)
 not at all satisfied
(5)
4. How satisfied are you with atmosphere in the cafeteria?
 very satisfied
(1)
 satisfied
(2)
 neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3)
 somewhat not satisfied
(4)
 not at all satisfied
(5)
5. How satisfied are you with the pricing of food in the cafeteria?
 very satisfied
(1)
 satisfied
(2)
 neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3)
 somewhat not satisfied
(4)
 not at all satisfied
(5)
6. How satisfied are you with the food selection available in the cafeteria?
 very satisfied
(1)
 satisfied
(2)
 neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (3)
 somewhat not satisfied
(4)
 not at all satisfied
(5)
7. How much do you agree with the statement: “I enjoy dining at YMT cafeteria.”
 strongly agree
(1)
 agree
(2)
 neither agree, nor disagree
(3)
 disagree
(4)
 strongly disagree
(5)
QUESTION 8-11 ASK YOUR OPINIONS ON A VARIETY OF FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS. PLEASE CHECK
THE BOX NEXT TO THE ANSWER THAT BEST CORRESPONDS WITH YOUR RESPONSE.
8. How often do you eat at the following:
(PLEASE CHECK ONLY ONE RESPONSE PER RESTAURANT)
(6)
3 or more
times a week
(5)
1-2 times a
week
(4)
Twice a
month
(3)
Once a
month
(2)
Less than
once a month
(1)
Burger King






KFC






McDonald’s






Pizza Hut






Subway






Taco Bell






Wendy’s






Never
9. What do you like the most about the following restaurants:
(PLEASE CHECK ONLY ONE RESPONSE PER RESTAURANT)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Price
Quality of
Food
Atmosphere
Speed of
Service
(6)
Selection
Burger King






KFC






McDonald’s






Pizza Hut






Subway






Taco Bell






Wendy’s






Nothing
10. If the following restaurants were located in the cafeteria of the YMT, how much more likely
would you be to dine in the cafeteria?
(1)
Very Likely
(2)
Likely
(3)
Neither likely,
Nor Unlikely
(4)
Unlikely
(5)
Very Unlikely
Burger King





KFC





McDonald’s





Pizza Hut





Subway





Taco Bell





Wendy’s





11. Rank the following restaurants in order from 1-7 of those that you would like to have in the
cafeteria. (1-would like the most, 7-would not like at all)
Burger King
________
KFC
________
McDonald’s
________
Pizza Hut
________
Subway
________
Taco Bell
________
Wendy’s
________
12. What is your classification?
 Freshman
(1)
 Sophomore
(2)
 Junior
(3)
 Senior
(4)
 Graduate Student (5)
13. Do you live on campus?
 yes
(1)
 no
(2)
14. Are you taking more than one class on the Avon Williams Campus?
 yes
(1)
 no
(2)
15. If so, what is your major? __________________________________
16. How do you travel to school?
 Drive yourself
(1)
 are dropped off by friend/family member(2)
 Carpool
(3)
 Campus shuttle
(4)
 MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) (5)
 Other
(6)
17. How do you pay for your food at YMT?
 Meal plan (1)
 Cash
(2)
 Debit card (3)
 Check
(4)
18. Do you have a meal plan?
 yes
(1)
 no
(2)
JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS AND YOU WILL BE FINISHED.
19. What is your gender?
 Female
(1)
 Male
(2)
20. What is your age?
 18-19
(1)
 20-21
(2)
 22-23
(3)
 24-25
(4)
 26-31
(5)
 32-42
(6)
 43-65
(7)
21. What is your household income?
 18-19
(1)
 20-21
(2)
 22-23
(3)
 24-25
(4)
 26-31
(5)
 32-42
(6)
22. What is your ethnicity?
 African American (1)
 Asian American (2)
 Caucasian
(3)
 Hispanic
(4)
 Native American (5)
 Other
(6)
APPENDIX B – FREQUENCY TABLES
Table 1.1, How frequent respondents dine at the specified restaurants. (valid %)
Less than
Once a
Twice a
1-2 times a
Never
once a
month
month
week
month
28.6 %
26.5 %
12.2 %
14.3 %
14.3 %
Burger King
17.2 %
25.3 %
22.2 %
16.2 %
14.1 %
KFC
11.1 %
16.2 %
11.1 %
27.3 %
25.3 %
McDonald’s
26.0 %
29.2 %
14.6 %
21.9 %
6.3 %
Pizza Hut
16.7
%
0.8
%
17.7
%
28.1
%
13.5
%
Subway
23.0 %
27.0 %
15.0 %
19.0 %
14.0 %
Taco Bell
10.0 %
9.0 %
19.0 %
22.0 %
30.0 %
Wendy’s
3 or more
times a
week
4.1 %
5.1 %
9.1 %
2.1 %
3.1 %
2.0 %
10.0 %
Table 1.2, Mean of how often respondents eat at specified restaurants. (valid %)
Burger King
KFC
McDonald’s Pizza Hut
Subway
Taco Bell
2.71
3.0
4.08
2.59
3.10
2.80
Wendy’s
3.83
Table 2.1, Degree of Satisfaction with aspects of the YMT Cafeteria. (valid %)
Food Quality
Speed of Service
Atmosphere
Pricing
Selection
Very
Satisfied
Satisfied
7.1%
8.1%
9.1%
6.1%
5.1%
39.4%
32.3%
54.5%
20.2%
30.3%
Neither
Satisfied Nor
Dissatisfied
29.3%
32.3%
21.2%
29.3%
23.2%
Somewhat
not Satisfied
Not at all
Satisfied
16.2%
20.2%
10.1%
32.3%
27.3%
8.1%
7.1%
5.1%
12.1%
14.1%
Table 2.2, Frequency of most liked attributes. (valid %)
Price
Quality of
Food
Atmosphere
Speed of
Service
Selection
Nothing
Burger
King
16.3%
23.5%
KFC
McDonald’s
2.1%
53.1%
4.1%
7.1%
10.2%
38.8%
Wendy’s
1.0%
45.8%
Taco
Bell
20.4%
16.3%
5.3%
6.4%
4.2%
8.3%
1.0%
16.3%
0.0%
7.0%
9.6%
34.0%
22.9%
17.7%
17.3%
28.6%
8.0%
14.0%
Subway
45.9%
13.3%
Pizza
Hut
1.1%
43.6%
4.2%
4.2%
2.0%
15.3%
16.7%
19.8%
6.1%
17.3%
50.0%
21.0%
Table 3.1, Frequency of how much more likely to dine if the restaurant replaces YMT. (valid %)
Burger King
KFC
McDonald’s
Pizza Hut
Subway
Taco Bell
Wendy’s
Very Likely
Likely
9.1%
18.4%
33.7%
12.5%
41.8%
16.0%
38.0%
25.3%
39.8%
29.6%
30.2%
28.6%
27.0%
33.0%
Neither
Likely, nor
Unlikely
19.2%
15.3%
11.2%
26.0%
12.2%
23.0%
17.0%
Unlikely
Very Unlikely
12.1%
12.2%
8.2%
10.4%
7.1%
9.0%
1.0%
34.3%
14.3%
17.3%
20.8%
10.2%
25.0%
11.0%
Table 3.2, Statistics consisting of the Mean, Median, and Mode.
Mean
Median
Mode
Burger
King
KFC
McDonald
’s
Pizza Hut
Subway
Taco Bell
Wendy’s
5.32
6.00
7
3.85
4.00
3
3.59
3.50
1
4.39
5.00
6
3.02
2.00
1
4.63
5.00
5
3.53
3.00
1