Who: College Students
What: Lack of fast food that's healthy and affordable
Why: Healthy food is expensive.
2.)
Who: This need is shared by busy people who want to eat healthy. I find it prominent in the working class, especially busy parents who want their families to eat better but don't have the time/money to do so.
What: There are foods that are quick and healthy but not affordable and the food that's fast and affordable isn't healthy. No food establishment currently meets all three needs.
Why: People with lower incomes, especially college students can't always afford produce. Suppliers charge high prices for produce which means in order to make a profit, businesses must do the same. Because of this, food chains find it easier and more profitable to sell cheap, unhealthy food.
Interview 1: Premed student in Starbucks
She was very enthusiastic about this idea and told me she was just discussing how there was no affordable healthy food in the area. She has a very busy life between her school work and volunteering so she generally meal preps to prepare for her busy weeks. She said she wasn't really sure how someone could keep the costs of health foods down, but it's a great concept, especially for people with really busy schedules.
Interview 2: My roommate, 21 year old business student
He thought this was a good idea because he tries to stay as healthy as possible but doesn't always feel like cooking. He often goes to the store late at night after work so he can cook but when he's feeling lazy he just goes to McDonald's. He said that he hates doing this because the food makes him feel bad mentally and physically. He would feel much better if he had a healthy place to go where it doesn't take more than ten minutes to get his food. He thinks this will be helpful for those who go to the gym a lot because all "health freaks" get tired of cooking.
Interview 3: My manager at Chuy's
My manager found the concept interesting, but was critical of how this could be accomplished. As someone who knows about managing the costs, I was glad to hear what she had to say. She told me her second highest cost was the fresh produce. Something to think about was not every single fruit/vegetable will be edible. For example, 1/5 of the avocados we get in our orders are unusable because they are too mushy or even a little moldy. She felt if all of our food was in fact healthy and made fresh that costs would be too high to keep our product cheap which is concerning and will send me back to the drawing board.
Interview 4: A teacher and mother of five
Donna is a loving mother who loves to cook for her children. She said it would be nice to have a healthy alternative for the nights she doesn't want to cook but most of the time she's preparing meals for the family. She also made the point that her family isn't really tight on money so if it's something her kids really wanted, she wouldn't hesitate to buy it for them. She thinks this would be a great idea for college students and working moms like herself because she knows not everyone wants to cook as much as she does. In her opinion, Chipotle is decently healthy and not that expensive but it would be nice to have other options.
Interview 5: 22 year old waiter at Chuy's
My coworker said he thought most people in town would be all for this idea but he wasn't. He told me most of his friends really care about their health and are always working out but he doesn't really care about his own health. Whenever he goes out to eat with his friends, they usually go for healthier options while he goes for whatever is cheap and tasty. He thinks his friends would appreciate a restaurant that's fast, healthy, and affordable but it's just not for him.
I feel like this would be a popular business idea but what popped out at me the most were the things that my manager said to me. I never considered the fact that not all of the fresh food I order will be edible which will be a huge cost driver. On top of that, fresh fruits and vegetables will not be cheap and many people are concerned with how the food will be kept affordable.
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