Master Planning

Research, Analysis, Recommendations

Bakergroup’s Master Planning support is a multi-step process involving research, analysis, and recommendations. However, the most important step we take is getting to know YOU: your campus, your students, your operations, your challenges, and your goals. This ensures that our process and our solutions are tailored specifically to your needs – because one size does not fit all. To help you better plan for the future of your organization’s dining, our support offers insight on:

• Opportunities for increasing customer satisfaction and sales
• The optimal number and locations of foodservice operations
• Which concepts to offer in your portfolio of operations
• Estimated future sales and expenses for your dining operation(s)
• Meal plan options
• Pricing
• Operational Assessments
• Strategic and Marketing Planning
• Other Master Planning elements that are important to your specific needs.

Benchmarking

How Do Your Operations Compare?

Benchmarking provides a picture of how well-aligned your operations are with the industry, with peer institutions, and with themselves over a defined period of time. Benchmarks highlight areas to investigate further; reveal if improvement initiatives are successful; and encourage proactive changes in scheduling, pricing, and cost controls. It will help you to:

• Compare your institution to peer institutions
• Establish appropriate food costs
• Match pricing with market rates
• Compare staffing levels
• Determine appropriate rates of return
• Determine appropriate rent / commission rate

Operations Reviews

How Do You Measure Success?

Operations Reviews & Analyses help determine if your operation is as successful as perceived – or desired. Whether you are setting the standard, or working toward achieving a targeted benchmark, Bakergroup’s strong Operations portfolio of services will help you accomplish your goals

• Increase customer satisfaction
• Improve financial performance
• Increase throughput and speed of service
• Improve staff training
• Identify alternative / additional revenue sources
• Improve overall efficiency

Programming

Facility / Hours of Operation / Event Driven Needs

Dining Characteristics / Adjacencies / Accessibility

Bakergroup’s programming covers all areas related to foodservice and dining, including dock, dry storage, refrigeration, and other support areas. Based on your individual project, we will make recommendations on the number, type, and adjacencies of all spaces. We will suggest menu concepts, service formats, and hours of operation, and other related dining considerations specific to your project needs and goals. Early space planning and programming contribute greatly to a successful design project.

Bakergroup also considers other elements in its programming process. The following list is a small example of those elements:

• Sustainable design considerations
• Security
• Vending
• Non-dining use of spaces
• Pedestrian traffic paths
• Fire protection
• Phasing & temporary dining needs
• Maintenance & training

Feasibility Studies

Don’t Guess!

Bakergroup’s Feasibility Planning will help answer all of your strategic planning questions. Our work will provide you with the following information regarding feasibility of your project:

• Market Analysis
• Approach
• Timeline
• Estimated Cost
• Potential Challenges
• Anticipated Profitability

Market Research

Focus Groups / Surveys / Visual Preference Workshops

Bakergroup employs these methods and others, as needed. Market Research can be provided as an independent service, but it is also a regular component of all of our Planning & Analysis work. It supports the analysis of:

• Customer Satisfaction
• Service
• Price Point
• Menu Mix
• Location & Site
• Retail Market
• Competitive Market