Today I hosted an interview directed by me and my team members. This interview was hosted as a premise to our market research and eventual evaluation and propagation of a popular food vendor in our campus. The interview hosted is as follows:
How many customers do you get in day?
Grandpa: I don’t count them
Grandpas customers aren’t particularly consistent. Some may not be the same customers that come the next day. Customers also vary in their food choices “one may pick sausage, or one beef or egg just like that”.
What are your busiest days?
Grandpa: our busiest days are not stable.
Grandpa tells us again that customers aren’t reliably situated and don’t typically buy from him at times when free food services at campus can be spontaneous or on Sundays when students parents will visit them and may give food to their friends as well.
What time do you open?
Grandpa: 4pm.
Like most outside food vendors situated and approved by SBU (student business unit), his food service opens by 4pm in the evening. Not much of a surprise.
Do you have a menu for your customers
Grandpa: potatoe chips, mashed potatoes chips, fried yam, gizzard, round fish sausage, boiled egg, beef and egg sauce.
Grandpas food menu is a stable approved by SBU (student business unit). They are not allowed to sell any other thing unless it’s approved and documented by the management.
Any social media you use to advertise your business?
Grandpa: I have telegram and instagram.
Grandpas social media outlets are pretty trivial. It seems like it’s not really a leverage he optimally makes use of consciously to further his business. So advertising hasn’t really been his go-to.
Do you feel like there’s something we can help you with for your business?
Grandpa: if you have any suggestions please share with us.
Grandpa is open to suggestions and recommendations.
Have students given you any feedback concerning your business?
Grandpa: yes they give me positive feedback. Maybe sometimes people may have more than they ordered. Apart from that nothing else
Grandpas feedback is good and complaints aren’t typical if at all. Maybe a few mistakes may occur on grandpas part. When selling food he may give a customer more then they opted for. For example instead of giving customers two sausages he may accidentally give them three. Or he may give them one instead of two. If that happens the student usually comes right back and grandpa will give him what he forgets to right away.
Do you face any challenges?
Grandpa: maybe weather interruptions can interfere with the business. We abide by the school rules so we don’t typically have any challenges really.
There aren’t many challenges when it comes to grandpas business. The only unchangeable inconvenience he may face are weather interferences. Apart from that since they follow the rules of the management they don’t run into any challenges or issues.
What makes your brand stand out ?
Grandpa: I don’t really know.
Grandpa isn’t really keen on promoting his brand in a way that’s inviting or appealing. At most his efforts to do such was picking a brand name that was some what interesting which he called “grandpas chips”. Besides from that his creative approach to making his brand unique was sub-par.
How do you navigate yourself when it comes to food hygiene?
Grandpa: I don’t joke with that. We tidy up everywhere and make sure we’re neat. Personally what we’re prepare myself to eat must be clean. If I know what I eat has the slightest bit of dirt I won’t eat it. The food I sell to others I treat it like it’s my own food and make sure it’s hygienic. What I cannot give to myself and give to others
Grandpa makes sure the food hygiene of the food he sells is very clean. He treats the food he sells as his own and does not like the idea of food hygiene being sub standard and encourages others to do the same.
Are you planning to add new menu items or anything that your planning to add?
Grandpa: i don’t think I have as of now. If there’s anything I want to add I still have to meet the management to approve it. I’m also not planning to add anything to our menu.
Food variety and expansion depends on SBU approval. So his choice to immediately introduce new foods are fragile if not properly evaluated by SBU management.