Assignment 7A

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1 

1) I see great opportunity in providing UF students a healthier restaurant option on campus than those that are currently being offered. University of Florida’s on campus dining spots include several different fast food franchises, below average dining hall food, and POD Markets that consist primarily of gas station type snacks and other quick meals. There is clear opportunity for a restaurant that UF students can rely on for providing healthy, high protein meals without worrying about high cost as well as having to drive across Gainesville to eat there. A restaurant that focuses on providing healthy food options, while also providing an accessible way to get the food (ie on campus) would be very successful in appealing to those UF students who would rather not just settle for greasy fast food or below average dining hall food.


2)

· The Who: UF on campus students

· The What: UF students are unable to access healthy food due to UF’s lack in providing healthy food restaurants to UF students on campus.

· The Why: Most millennials and college students in general often value being healthy and fit, by appealing to many students who do value health, the restaurant can be very successful.


3)

· Testing the Who: In this case, there are in fact others who would share this need. It is not only UF students who value eating clean and being healthy, this is a norm that has spread throughout society, regardless if you are in college. Not only would UF students on campus benefit from a restaurant with healthy options, but prospective students and families could also eat here, in addition to UF faculty members and others who happen to be on campus.

· Testing the What: The boundaries of this need are related to each individual’s perception of “healthy” food options and the access to them. For example, the boundary of someone who wants to eat a healthier lunch option faces constraint such as what they consider a healthy meal, how long they want to wait, whether they want to stay on campus or leave, etc. For instance, some may consider a salad from Wendy’s a healthy meal, while others may still consider this fast food and thus unhealthy. Therefore, the boundaries of this opportunity revolve solely around the prototypical customer in question.

· Testing the Why: Each individual will have their own “why” for the reason as to why they are choosing to eat a healthy meal, and this is why I believe this opportunity has potential for success. Everyone has their own reason for eating a healthy meal, some are on meal-preps and diets. While maybe others are just simply sick of eating the same fast food every day. Even further, some people simply eat healthy meals for the way they feel after. There are a variety of reasons as to “why” someone may want to eat a healthy meal, whether it simply be they forgot their lunch at home and have to eat out, or on a strict diet and refuse to eat fast food, people will find a reason for eating healthy, and thus this opportunity would be a success.





4)

Summary: Interviewing five prototypical customers relating to this opportunity was crucial in determining if there is true potential in this opportunity and if it would be a worthwhile business venture, and after doing so, I believe it is. A large reason as to why I say this is because through interviewing a range of prototypical customers, ranging from die-hard gym and health addicts to people I have never seen eat a healthy meal in their lives, allowed me to hone in not only on “why” different people would choose to eat at my healthy restaurant, but also exactly what different people value in determining what would make eating there worthwhile. For example, one of the most common “why”s people had for choosing to eat at my restaurant was due to the lack of healthy options elsewhere on campus. Regardless of whether they valued eating healthily or not, all five prototypical customers agreed that there was not enough variety in healthy meal options on campus. This is crucial for the sole reason that if various types of people are all drawing the same conclusion about the accessibility of healthy food on campus, simply by making it accessible, my restaurant could be a success to both those who are avid supporters of clean meals and those who simply want a break from fast food. Another “why” I found through out the interviews that I didn’t think was valued as much by my prototypical customers was exact location on campus. I asked all five prototypical customers the most ideal location for my restaurant and their answers are as follows: 3 said the Hub, 1 said Reitz Union, and one said Turlington Plaza. Before these interviews, I had not truly considered the exact location of where my restaurant would be successful, I simply just focused on keeping it on campus. However, these interviews have shown me that this is yet another important factor I have to consider when trying to make this a successful business venture.

I feel a lot of my original opportunity is still here after the interviews. It appears students and other UF faculty both feel there is a lack of healthy restaurant options on campus, and various prototypical customers feel the same about this opportunity. Although they had ranging reasons for choosing to eat a healthy meal, all feel inadequate options for healthy choices, as well as varying personal reasons would all drive them to eat and the restaurant, the interviews primarily helped focus on target areas the various prototypical customers stressed.