29A - Venture Concept No. 2

The Hearty Gator

Opportunity 

• College is a critical time when college-aged adults tend to gain weight and increase their risk of obesity-related health issues later in life.
• Findings from multiple studies indicate family, significant others and college friends are potential influences on both diet and physical activity.
• Students are exposed to a variety of new experiences and potential lifestyle changes that may influence their health and risk of obesity, including changes in eating habits, living environment, daily physical activity and possibly increased alcohol intake.
• To add to this, increased stress associated with academics or life issues may also contribute to the risk of weight gain in college.
• This idea is exemplified by the infamous "freshman fifteen."
• As students progress through their college years, it is very common for them to become even more engulfed in school work, jobs and activities, leaving very little time to make physical activity and nutrition a priority. 
• Although most colleges do take into account these factors by establishing food outlets throughout campus that offer healthy snacks, the ratio between fast food joints and places that incorporate actual wholesome meals is extremely skewed. 
• The window of opportunity to create a place that provides well-rounded meals in a time crunch on university and college campuses in wide open.
• The market would pinpoint college-aged adults, specially at the University of Florida, between the ages of 18 and 26, and even faculty and staff who work on campus. However, as the business grows, it could expand to college campuses across the country.
• There is currently no satisfactory resolution as students are opting for fast food when they do not have time to prepare and bring their own healthy meals to campus.
• Potential customers: College students and staff 

Innovation

• My idea is a healthy restaurant, grab-and-go blend that will be located in the heart of the University of Florida campus. Our company would pave a path for college-aged students to continue with their healthy habits when their busy schedules may not allow them to do so in advance. Students, and even staff members, would be able to order in person or pick up wholesome meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the university's hours of operation.
• This would be the first and foremost establishment for the company so that we can later install easier, more tech savvy ways to speed up the process.

Venture Concept 

• Those who purchase meals from The Hearty Gator will do so to maintain their healthy lifestyle throughout their hectic day-to-day schedule. This will stop them from resorting to fast-food meals that they will eventually regret eating and give them the satisfaction of feeling full and happy.
• I do not think it will be hard to get students, faculty and staff to purchase these yummy meals. Each and every meal will be made with the freshest ingredients for a very reasonable price. Getting daily specials out quickly and effectively will be tricky, but I do not think this is anything social media posts cannot handle.
• Branding will be critical when it comes to implementing the business for such a vast student body with an array of diet preferences. Like Whole Foods and Vale Food Co., our aim is to debut our food and meals in a light that accentuates how they are prepared fresh daily with only the finest ingredients. 
• Initially, I would begin my business on, or even around, the University of Florida campus (specifically near Turlington where there is the most foot traffic). Instagram will be our main form of communication with our audience, posting on average 5 photos and announcements everyday. This will need to be consistent not only with timing but also with the look and vibe of our page. Once this is rooted and secure, then we will become recognized by everyone on campus, even visitors, and I will hire a public relations or marketing coordinator who would  oversee this full-time. 

Three Minor Elements

•  Unfair advantage: The most important resource to my business is that it is essentially the first of its kind so there is relatively no competition. This is highly valuable because my company is giving healthy meals to my audience that they have never had at this place during these times. This is something that no other food joint can replicate and if it is successful, then it can alter the lifestyles of college students and staff.
• What's next for the venture: After just six months to a year, I would like to introduce an application that allows customers to order meals on their phone that they can pick up at whatever time they wish, similar to Tapingo. The app will be updated regularly with any specials or menu changes so that they will be getting the same services if they were to be dining in. Customers will be able to link their debit or credit cards to the app making payment far easier for both us and them.
• What's next for me: Had I already build and launched this business, I would probably choose to sell it within five years of it being open. Though I would put all of my work and resources into the business, it is not something that I feel passionately enough about to stick with forever. I would see it as a stepping stone into another future entrepreneurial pursuit.

Feedback

Not much changed from my previous venture concept to this one as I received a great amount of feedback from my peers. They were very impressed by how well-developed my overall business plan was and said that they could see themselves as potential customers being students at UF. I did tweak some of my points regarding how staff and faculty could benefit in exactly the same ways as students in order to broaden the horizon of my consumers. They also said that creating a poetical application that could link with Tapingo would also be a smart option as many students already have this app downloaded so they will consider The Hearty Gator when scrolling through their food options. I also included how I would probably choose to sell the company after a few years.