When it comes to dining, today’s college students have a wide variety of tastes and preferences—and their food options need to reflect that.
Yet one food category still reigns supreme on campus: Sandwiches.
That led the team at Aramark Collegiate Hospitality to expand their sandwich concept, The Spread.
“The Spread was originally developed as a concept featuring toasted sub sandwiches,” said Karen Parker, Chief Marketing Officer, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. “Based on feedback and market trends, our chefs reimagined the menu to satisfy every taste and we updated the marketing to add to the customization opportunities to tailor the concept to fit the specifics of the unique campus experience.”
Now, students and guests can build their own sandwiches, choosing from a selection of fillings, breads, wraps, toppings, and spreads. For inspiration, there is also a lineup of chef-created signature sandwiches, including:
- Plant-forward options such as the Falafel Sub, Portobello Sub, Artichoke Red Pepper Sub, or Caprese Ciabatta;
- Buffalo Chicken Sub;
- Chicken Caesar Wrap;
- Turkey and Bacon on Multigrain;
- Cuban or Italian Panini; or
- Meatball Sub
Guests can even opt to ditch the bread—and get all their toppings in a salad bowl.
The Aramark Collegiate Hospitality culinary, marketing, and operations teams created the guides and materials needed to implement the program easily and successfully on campus.
One university client piloted the refreshed sandwich concept in spring 2023 with impressive results.
They saw a 53% increase in sandwich revenue by only implementing the new menu options. The university decided to keep the sandwich station brand name and trade dress as it was.
Students’ number one sandwich favorite has been the meatball sub. Overall, guest satisfaction has been very positive.
More than 30 Aramark Higher Education client accounts will introduce the refreshed sandwich concept this fall.
