Forming An Opportunity Belief
I believe there's an opportunity for restaurants with more healthy food options in the east Orlando area. I personally have had trouble finding any healthy options that are within a 20 minute drive from my home for the past year, so I assume that others who are looking for healthy food options in this area but don't have the time or skills to cook at home are in the same situation. Right now Chipotle is pretty much the go-to option in this area for healthier food, but that is the only place I can think of, and the line is always out the door with no matter what time you go.
There are over 60,000 students attending UCF, which is a 5-10 minute drive from my house, so there must be a lot of health-conscious students experiencing this issue. Also, even though this is a college area, it is pretty densely populated in general, so there are still many neighborhoods in the area that are populated by non-students, so there seems to be a large customer base for healthy food options here.
I went to a popular food plaza right across the street from UCF and asked a few people to sit down and chat about the issue for a few minutes. You can find the recordings for these interviews here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-642057848
After talking to some students who attend UCF it seemed that they all agreed that there aren't any truly healthy options in this area. I'm not sure if they were mainly agreeing just because they didn't want to disagree with me, but I don't think they sounded biased from what I could tell. They also seemed to lean towards the fast-casual type of restaurant similar to a Panera or Chipotle style, but with more fresh ingredients. If there are any awkward moments, I apologize in advance; I'm really not a good speaker in general, especially with people I don't know.. but it's all good. Also, one of the interviewees was quite an interesting character, but I found it pretty entertaining. Hope you enjoy.
Hey Damian!
ReplyDeleteGreat post once again! I too believe there should be more healthy food options available in this area and all over. I am from New York where there is much diversity which usually translates to more food options, including healthy options, but I strongly believe that this mindset should be more widespread, especially in highly dense cities. I believe there is a high demand for fresh ingredients and quality food and would also like to see this become more popular throughout America and other parts of the world.
Damien,
ReplyDeleteGreat job going out of your shell and talking to people about their opinions. I, myself, have the same problem with healthier food options. Even the some what decent restaurants still use a lot of sodium and seasoning. When you're trying to eat cleaner and you're in a rush, it's a horrible feeling to ruin your good streak. Maybe a good option for students would be meal preparation. There are a bunch of companies that will actually cook your meals for you and have it delivered so you stay on track!
Damien,
ReplyDeleteEven worse than the lines at Chipotle, I'm pretty sure their food isn't even that healthy. I would confirm this, but I'm pretty sure I read or heard that there's an obscene amount of salt in their ingredients. Sorry to say, but anyways, I like your idea! A college campus is a hub for healthy food choices, so the lack thereof is surprising, but easily and practically fixable. And don't worry about being awkward with people in the interviews, I was a terrible interviewer in mine. I'm sure it'll get better with experience. Overall good job with the post though!
Hey Damien, the people you interviewed sounded very polite. In general healthly fast food is hard to come by in college towns but it is pricey. However there are some successful companies such as Subway or Sweet Tomatoes that are able to manage in certain places. Many people in college want to be as fit as possible because at this age is our peak in appearance. This would definitely be a great opportunity to exploit and im sure all the gym rats would flock to after a heavy gym session.
ReplyDeleteHey Damien,
ReplyDeleteFirst off it was nice to see an opportunity that ventured out from the Gainesville area. It is still a relevant and relatable issue that all health conscious people must worry about. I am surprised that there are not many healthy fast food choices in society today. People are starting to make conscious decisions about what they eat, but the restaurants around them do not make it easy for them. It is hard to change your lifestyle when you do not have the resources.
I have noticed in many of the larger fast food franchises that their menus are starting to transition and cater to a more health conscious demographic and the menus themselves are providing more healthy options. twenty years ago or even ten years ago you would never have seen a mcdonalds store offer oatmeal or grilled chicken wraps. I think that many of these larger businesses are seeing the growing demand for a healthier diet and are reinventing themselves and marketing that they are being more health conscientious as well. This could make it much more difficult for any aspiring entrepreneur to enter into that market as competition from these established businesses will ultimately have lower costs, more supply and marketing funds. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDelete