Currently revamping its c-store and constructing a new dining hall, Campus Enterprises at NC A&T State uses student feedback to better plan food and c-store offerings.
By Erin Rigik Del Conte, Senior Editor
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (NC A&T) State University has embarked on major renovations to bring its convenience store and dining services to the next level.
Currently under construction and set to debut in the fall of 2018 are an improved Aggie Convenience Store featuring an open layout and increased offerings, as well as a second dining hall with fresh foods prepared to order in front of students.
NC A&T, located in Greensboro, N.C., is home to more than 10,000 students and employs about 2,000 people. To accommodate this community, the university features “Aggie C-Store,” its only campus convenience store.
“We’re all known as ‘Aggies’ on our campus. That’s the name of our (bulldog) mascot. So you’ll find that terminology used a lot on campus,” said Donna Morris-Powell, who has been the director for retail operations, Campus Enterprises, for the last three years. Her role involves ensuring all retail operations meet student needs and upholding outstanding customer service, while growing revenue streams.
Previously the director for the campus bookstore for seven years, Powell has had her finger on the pulse student demand for the last decade.
CAMPUS RETAIL
At present, NC A&T is constructing a new student center in the epicenter of campus. During construction, a temporary structure called Aggie Dome, currently houses both the Aggie C-Store—at 660 square feet—as well as food retail operations, including a Sub Connection, Chick-fil-A, Pizza Hut and its proprietary foodservice program called Aggie Wings.
All businesses currently available in Aggie Dome will eventually reside in the new student center, set to open in the fall of 2018.
When the student center opens, a brand new 1,000-square-foot Aggie C-Store will greet students, featuring grab-and-go snacks, grocery items, microwavable meals, coffee, tea, health and beauty aid products, greeting cards and an increased selection of dorm supplies from surge protectors to more cleaning materials. Fresh flowers will also be added for special events such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day weekend and administrative assistant days.
“We’re looking to add things that can appeal, not only to our student population, but our on-campus community as well. We have faculty and staff on our campus throughout the day, so we’re looking to offer services that meets their needs as well,” Powell said.
As Campus Enterprises plans the new c-store, it is considering trends and best practices in convenience store retailing. “We want this new convenience store to feature an open-market-type feel and be exciting when our students come to shop and to relax,” said Powell. “The open layout concept will allow them to clearly see everything available in the store.”
Aggie C-store is currently open in Aggie Dome from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5p.m. on Friday, as well as afternoon hours on weekends. While Aggie C-Store offers grab-and-go snacks—including packaged sandwiches and microwavable dinners—it leaves hot, made-to-order foodservice to the on-campus, foodservice provider.“They have their separate marketplace and we have ours,” Powell explained.
From the grab-and-go section, students are demanding snacks that are easy to eat on the go, and many want healthier offerings.
“We brought in fresh fruit this year, and offer yogurt and ice cream. Students are looking for reasonable prices,” said Powell.
DINING OPTIONS
Williams, NC A&T’s only dining hall, is a standalone building across campus from Aggie Dome and also features a McAlister’s Deli, Starbucks and Simply To Go. McAlister’s Grab-N-Go locations are also available in Craig Hall and McNair Hall.
“We serve about 5,700 meal plan students daily and 200+ faculty and staff members daily in Williams, with the rest of the campus population eating in Williams or one of our other retail locations on a cash basis,” said Powell. “On a typical day we could serve 10,000-plus people.”
Students can choose between several meal plans, from an unlimited pass to all food establishments and dining halls on campus, to a 25- or 50-meals per semester pass for individuals living off campus.
In fall 2018, NC A&T will add a second dining hall. At presstime, the new dining hall had yet to be named and the exact fare was still being determined, but it will reside on the opposite side of campus from Williams and feature freshly-prepared foods made in front of students.
Williams features a traditional dining concept, including a hot station featuring two meats and several different entrees on a daily basis, a salad bar and two different soup options.
“We also offer pizza every day that is made fresh in our wood-fire pizza oven,” Powell said.
Hamburgers and hot dogs are also always on the menu due to student demand, and a separate carving station offers additional meat options. Fresh fruit, ice cream and dessert are always available to the students.
The menu rotations include foods of different ethnic origins—Chinese, Mexican, Greek, Indian, Caribbean and Asian for example—offered several times a week at different locations in Williams Dining Hall. The dining hall also celebrates different cultures with special events and meals like: Taco Tuesdays, Fortune Cookie Day (Chinese/Asian fare), Bao Bar (Asian Fusion), an Endless Adventure promotion featuring foods from around the globe, and Multi-cultural Night (a special event featuring foods from different cultures).
The first Thursday of every month is “Food Truck Junction,” when food trucks gather in a parking lot next to the student bookstore and provide an alternative lunchtime offering.
“The students look forward to it every first Thursday,” said Powell. “We have one truck with all turkey offerings, a Greek food truck, and some with more traditional fare like hot dogs and hamburgers.”
COMMUNICATION COUNTS
Campus Enterprises communicates with students about events or offerings via large yard signs, email and social media, she noted. “We Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, which is what students are using. Our students consider Facebook to be taboo at this point” because parents use it.
Each fall, Campus Enterprises conducts an electronic survey that provides solid feedback on all units from Aggie C-Store to the dining hall. “The staff goes out and encourages students to take the survey on an iPad for a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship for the following spring semester. We had over 2,600 students do the survey for us (this past) fall,” Powell said. “We also have a very active student food advisory board that meets once a month and is served a full-course meal while providing feedback. In the spring our foodservice providers perform a separate electronic survey.”
Campus Enterprises also encourages year-round feedback using ‘What’s Up Wednesday’ where students can give feedback for a chance to win prizes.
What differentiates NC A&T’s convenience store and dining program is its ability to cater to the many diverse cultures that make up the student population. “We have an understanding of the different cultures on campus and our food options demonstrate that we have a large Asian and West Indian population, and often they miss home and specific foods, so we include that cuisine,” Powell said.
Campus Enterprises also hosts visiting chefs that help introduce students to foods from various cultures.
“We continue to strive to offer outstanding customer service and consistently work to remain connected to our students so we fully understand their expectations and growing needs,” Powell said.