The Relationship between Food and Labor Expense, Profit Margin, and Customer Satisfaction within University Union Foodservice Operations in Korea

The purpose of this study was to develop an effective cost control model for university foodservice operations by analyzing student satisfaction, as well as foodservice income statements for operational characteristics. The specific objectives were to examine the satisfaction of students for various foodservice quality dimensions, to determine the financial activities performed in foodservice operations by operational type, to examine their income statement data, and lastly, to compare the student satisfaction for foodservice quality with the financial data of the income statements. A total of 545 students from one university answered a satisfaction survey. The one-year income statements of three union foodservices (self-operated, small-scale contracted, and large-scale contracted) at the same university were analyzed. The results showed that the self-operated union foodservice had lower student satisfaction scores and higher food and labor cost ratios. The small-scale contract management foodservice data indicated the highest student satisfaction scores and the lowest food and labor cost ratios. The large-scale contract management foodservice data showed medium scores when comparing the three union foodservice operations. Overall, by comparing the satisfaction scores and operational profits, the small-scale union foodservices showed the highest satisfaction scores and profit.