9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Summary of the opportunity: The need for vending machines that stocks healthy affordable snacks and lunch items for students.

Who: There are a few people who don’t feel the need for such an opportunity and hence fall out of the boundary? After speaking to different students across campus and in restaurants, I did come across a group of people who weren’t really affected by the problem mainly because they like to meal prep on the weekends. Sarah, a junior at UF had some concerns about the quality and freshness of the items and since she enjoys cooking and meal prepping for herself, she said she would rather make her own meal than purchase something from the vending machine. Being an Indian who adores her spices in just about anything, my friend Sanjana wondered if the items stored in the vending machine would have the same taste as the food she likes to have at home. She likes to have a heavy breakfast that keeps her full till evening and then goes home and has dinner with her family. My other friend being on a strict budget would prefer buying a chips packet because that would relatively be cheaper compared to the food stored. I met another group at Just Salad, and they said that they like to see their meals prepared in front of them. But they all also mostly agreed that such vending machines would be really beneficial around campus and would definitely promote a healthier environment.

 What: I realized that in order to gain the students attention towards this cause, it would be of great help if we could collaborate with some food companies that most students prefer and get them to provide their foods in our vending machines at discounted rates. Its also necessary to have vending machines placed all over campus and make it look appealing from outside so that students are able to differentiate it from the other vending machines. To maintain the freshness the items should be stored in a cool environment and should be restocked after every hours and should be made fresh daily.

Why: Its important to cater to the needs of all students in order to promote a healthier environment on campus.

	INSIDE	OUTSIDE
WHO	College students on campus Faculty staff Healthy restaurants Athletes	Students who like to meal prep Those with dietary restrictions Those on strict budgets
WHAT	To improve eating habits and lifestyle To provide a faster easier way of getting food	Would rather prefer to dine out Cant compromise on taste
WHY	To lower the spread of different health conditions	Could get better healthier options elsewhere