Sodexo has started the “IDology” process, which may bring a new food outlet or a national chain to Nicholls State University.

Russell Barrios, the Sodexo general manager, said IDology is the science of identifying and delivering solutions through a process grounded in extensive research. It is a tool for assessing the needs of the campus, identifying opportunities and developing plans for the future.

Barrios explained that the process and project will not cost the University any capital dollars. Sodexo funds the IDology service, but the University helps structure it financially. The team is looking into the possibility of bringing a national brand to campus.

Sodexo partners with dozens of national food chains. Barrios said that Chick-fil-a is probably the most popular, but McDonalds, Burger King, Panda Express, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are a few other options.

“We have a national agreement, so we get special pricing, and then it’s negotiated between Sodexo and the University how the project’s going to be structured financially,” Barrios said.

The process began with an online survey that took about 20 minutes to complete. There were submission from students, faculty and staff. Sodexo’s targeted sample size was 360 and there were 409 submissions.

A team of Sodexo managers visited the University in October. and conducted interviews with the University’s executive leadership team, as well as student representatives, faculty and staff. The team also walked around campus and observed traffic patterns of students and faculty and looked for opportunities to improve current operations.

The final step of the first phase was a brainstorming session where they discussed ideas based on feedback from the online survey, interviews and observations.

“Over 200 ideas were generated by the Sodexo Team. The team consisted of a Regional Vice President, a Regional Marketing Manager, a Regional Brand Manager, a Regional IDology Process Manager, a District Manager and two General Managers from Loyola and from ULL in Lafayette,” Barrios said.

Barrios said they are currently in phase two. The Sodexo team formulate a strategy to address the needs and satisfaction of all members of our campus community, focusing on improving customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and financial performance.
Phase two should be completed by mid-December.

“Phase three will provide the Nicholls State University leadership team with an actionable document that will provide recommendations and then create a plan that describes specific steps to implement the recommended solutions,” Barrios said.

Barrios said student surveys suggest students were most excited about brands like Chick-fil-a, Raising Canes, Taco Bell and Chipotle.
There was a Chick-fil-a on campus in the past, but Barrios said the company pulled out in the last ten years or so because the financial model did not make sense to them any more.

“Whatever brand we talk to, it has to make sense for everybody financially. It has to make sense for the brand, for the University and for Sodexo,” Barrios said.

Some students were excited about the idea of a national brand opening on campus. Trey Clark, a junior professional sales major from Thibodaux, participated in the survey for one of his marketing classes.

Clark said he commutes to campus and might eat on campus more if there were a new national chain here.

“When I don’t eat at home, I find myself picking up something at a drive-thru on my way home rather than eating on campus,” Clark said. “But if there were something like that, I’d probably eat on campus a lot more.”