Fgi Written Report

Focus Group Written Report
Village Juice Co.

Thursday, January 24, 2019
Morgan Collins, Joshua Grossman, and Jessica Smith
Collins, Grossman, & Smith 1
Table of Contents
Village Juice Co. Background and Objectives of Study…………………………………………..2
Methodology and Research Procedures…………………………………………………………...3
Questions and Findings……………………………………………………………………………3
Summary and Implications………………………………………………………………………12
Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………….16
Work Distribution
Table………………………………………………………………………….33
Village Juice Co. Background and Objectives of Study
In 2015, Lonnie Atkinson started selling cold-pressed juice and nut milk through social
media with the label Village Juice Co. With the goal of making “eating healthy taste as amazing
as it is for your body,” the company has since opened two cafe locations in Winston-Salem,
expanded online orders, established a regular reputation at Winston-Salem farmers’ markets, and
installed a cold-pressed juice vending machine in the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter (Village
Juice Co., 2019). In fall 2018, Village Juice Co. opened its location at Elon University. Like its
other cafes, the location at Elon features juice, smoothies and smoothie bowls, salads, grain
bowls, and other meals. At this location, however, visitors can pay with student meal plans along
with cash or credit card.
Village Juice Co. seems to have been successful since its coming to Elon. One indicator
of Village Juice Co.’s success is the long line that forms during popular times between classes.
However, after further observation, it has become unclear if this long line is a result of popularity
among students or is affected by other factors such as a confusing ordering process, lack of
clarity of available options, and time required to make each menu item. If these factors are
contributing to the long line and wait time, students may be discouraged to revisit Village Juice
Co. after their first experience.
The objectives of the current research are two-fold. First, the study aims to evaluate Elon
students’ awareness of the meal plan options, types of food, and prices offered by Village Juice
Co. Second, the study aims to evaluate how satisfied Elon students are with Village Juice Co.,
based on their awareness of the options offered. Based on results, the study will attempt to
understand the best messages to communicate through the most effective channels in order to
maintain students’ current perceived level of interest in Village Juice Co.
Methodology and Research Procedures
This research was conducted using a focus group interview. The focus group was held in
the communications school, in McEwen room 212. It took place on Thursday, January 17th at
5:30 PM.
The sample for the focus group was found through nonprobability sampling, specifically
volunteer and convenience sampling. Focus group participants were recruited by the researchers
through messaging friends on social media and messaging applications. All of the participants
were friends of the researchers and volunteered their time.
A total of six participants attended the session, five of the participants were female and
one was male, but the male had to leave slightly early. All of the participants were Elon students,
and all but the one male were juniors. The male participant was a first-year. The average age of
the participants was 20, ranging from 20-21 years old. Out of the six participants, five described
themselves as white and one described herself as Asian. Three of the women who reported they
were white also reported a second race/ethnicity, including Filipino, Hispanic, and Italian.
Questions and Findings
The moderator’s guide consisted of 20 prepared questions, ten for each research question.
The following represents the order in which the questions were asked during the focus group:
1. What type of meal plan do you have?
Four of the participants did not currently have a meal plan, one had a 200-block meal
plan, and one had an All-Access meal plan.

2. What factors matter to you when you decide where to eat on campus? For example:
location, options, ease of use.
All of the participants who commented they did not have a meal plan said cost was one of
the biggest factors of their deciding where to eat on campus: “Cost was probably the biggest one
for me because not being on a meal plan I think the cost of things seem a lot more real,” said a
20-year-old white/Hispanic female participant. Other important factors mentioned were location,
personal preference, variety of options, ingredients used, and the weather.
3. Are you a regular at any retail dining location at Elon? Why do you go there
regularly?
Participants mentioned being regular customers at McEwen, Acorn, and Clohan. Of these
locations, participants came to the consensus that they went so often mainly due to location: “I
think [...] where I lived had a serious impact on where I went. So last year, when I lived in
Nades, I went to Nades all the time. And then also, it matters where your classes are too. So, if
you’re a comm student you go to McEwen like all the time because it’s right there,” said a
20-year-old white/Hispanic female participant.
4. What kind of food do you think Village Juice Co. serves?
This question represents a shift toward understanding participants’ awareness of the
options presented at Village Juice Co. All six participants responded to this question, listing,
“healthy food,” “salad,” “smoothies,” “juice,” “fruit,” “avocado toast,” “ginger shots,” and
“grain bowls” as the foods they believed to be served by Village Juice Co.
5. Can you name an item from the menu off the top of your head?
Two of the six participants, females age 20 and 21, were able to name two specific menu
items of the tops of their heads: the Moco-nana smoothie and the Sunset Smoothie.
6. Raise your hand if you have ever ordered food from Village Juice Co.?
Four of the six participants, white male age 20, white female age 20, Asian female age
20, and white/Filipino female age 21, had ordered food from Village Juice Co before. Two
female students, white and white/Hispanic, age 20, had not ordered food from Village Juice Co.
before.
7. If you have ordered food from Village Juice Co., what food have you ordered?
The participants had sampled a variety of food from Village Juice Co., but generally
could not remember the exact menu items, commenting, “I got an avocado toast and a matcha
juice,” (Asian female, age 20) and “I got that coconut bowl thing. I remember it had coconut. I
don’t remember what else was in it. But it was a smoothie bowl with coconut,” (white male, age
20). Other menu items selected included smoothies, grain bowls, and salads. None of the
participants had purchased the juice for which the company is named.
8. Have you enjoyed the food you have ordered from Village Juice Co.?
Participants generally liked the food they had eaten from Village Juice Co., commenting
“It was good,” (white/Italian female, age 20) and “It was juicy,” (white male, age 20).
9. Circle the words you associate with Village Juice Co.
Healthy Toast Expensive
Cleanse Smoothies Unhealthy
Cheap Convenient Sandwiches
Confusing Juice Meat

Meal Plan Vegan Cash
Of the words listed, “expensive” was the only word circled by every participant. When
asked to elaborate on the words they circled, participants jumped right into the discussion on
prices, commenting, “I was abroad and I follow Elon Dining on Instagram and someone did a
takeover or something [...] and on their story they had a Village Juice juice and the caption was
just “this cost me ten dollars” or nine dollars or something like that. And ever since then, the first
thing I think of when I hear Village Juice is how expensive it is. And honestly, when I start
talking about it or if I’m with someone talking about it, that’s one of the first things I say,”
(white/Hispanic female, age 20). This conversation lead into a conversation on meal plans, with
participants discussing how not being on a meal plan makes spending money at Village Juice
Co., in the form of Phoenix Cash, Food Dollars, or cash, difficult to justify. A white/Italian
female participant, age 20, shared, “I circled meal plan because I feel like without a meal plan I
would not go there. When I found out how much my smoothie actually cost for the size, I was
blown away because Tropical Smoothie can give me three times that and probably for half the
price.” One white/Filipino female participant, age 21, shared, “I’m totally fine spending money
when I go out to eat for a full meal. Like when you go out to eat nowadays it’s like eight nine
dollars, depending on where you go. And that’s fine with me, but that's for a full meal. A
smoothie doesn’t seem like it would be filling enough, or like a juice would be filling enough.
So, not saying it has to be a quantity amount, like sometimes that’s making sure it has a lot of
protein in it or that’s to make sure it is filling.”
10. When you visit Village Juice Co., how do you pay for your food? If you’ve never been to
Village Juice Co., how do you think you would pay?

Two of the participants had already answered this question through earlier discussion,
and both hinted at trying not to use their own money to pay for their food. One woman had used
another student’s block swipe and the other woman only went during the soft opening when the
food was free. Both of the other students who had been before said they had used Phoenix cash.
The students who had not been reported that they think they would pay with food dollars or
block swipes, depending on their current discount. One student reported she would use meal
dollars specifically “because there is that fifteen percent discount that [she’d] been thinking
about loading to [her] card,” (white/Hispanic female, 20).
11. How much do you normally pay when you order food at Village Juice Co.?
When asked this question, the participants were unsure of their answers and only guessed
at prices. The one male student reported that he spends thirteen dollars. The student who had
ordered food the most amount of times said, “ I think the toast was around nine something. And
then the juices were ten. I think actually the grain bowl I got was eleven, twelve, or something. It
was something like that,” (white/Filipino female, 21). Another participant guessed that the
smoothies “are like nine or ten” dollars (white/Italian female, 20).
12. Do you look at the price of the food you want on the menu before purchasing it?
Only the one male participant reported that he looked at the prices when ordering. No
other participant answered the question.
13. What do you think of the prices at Village Juice Co.?
After reviewing printed copies of the menu, the general consensus for this question was
that the prices are too high, but not quite what participants had remembered from their visits.
One participant said, “It’s actually not as bad as what I had in my head. [...] I think for the
ingredients it has in it, it is kind of reasonable. But when you think of a smoothie you don’t
expect to be paying seven or eight bucks and that’s what’s kind of jarring,” (white/Hispanic
female, 20). Another participant brought up that she would expect the food to be cheaper because
it is a dining option on campus. Similarly, another participant asked about Village Juice Co.’s
normal retail pricing, saying, “I also don’t know what their regular prices are. Like, I don’t know
if they upped their prices because it’s a college campus,” (white/Italian female, 20). The one
male participant compared the prices to other dining options saying, “Looking at the prices it’s a
lot cheaper than the acai bowls at Mediterranean Deli,” (white male, 20). The size of the portions
in comparison to the price was also a major talking point for this question. One participant
reported, “I also think it depends on the size of what you’re getting. [...] I don’t really know what
the sizes are but I feel like if it’s big portions for that much I guess that’s reasonable,” (white
female, 20).
14. Do you know what options are available at Village Juice Co. that are part of the meal
exchange program? What are those options?
Most of the participants were unable to answer this question and did not know what was
offered through the meal exchange. Only one woman was able to say, “I think it’s just like a
smoothie. And I think you can just get a salad, or you can just get a grain bowl,” (white/Filipino
female, 21). The other participants were not happy with these limited options reported by the
woman, with one participant blurting out “That’s it!?” as she was listing the options
(white/Italian female, 20).
15. Are you satisfied with the menu options available through the meal exchange?
Participants were not at all satisfied with the options provided through the meal exchange
program. One participant said, “that’s ridiculous … that’s not fair,” (white/Italian female, 20).
Many participants were looking at the options by comparing the prices they pay for their meal
plan to the prices they would pay out of pocket for each meal. One participant explained her
frustrations by saying, “I think when I use a swipe at the dining hall it costs like eleven dollars,
and I’m using a swipe for a seven dollar smoothie,” (white/Italian female, 20). Another
participant backed her up by saying, “Dining halls are all you can eat. So you’re paying that
much but you can stay and keep eating,” (white female, 20). Two of the participants slightly
disagreed with this sentiment, instead reporting that they are not surprised you lose money with
the meal exchange because of how often it happens at other dining locations on campus. These
participants felt that because the meals at Village Juice Co. are already so expensive, using their
block swipe makes more sense than paying out of pocket. One participant said, “I think that
makes it more enticing to go here with the meal plan. Like the value if you purchase the right
things, it’s kind of like Freshii but I’m always going to use my swipes [at Village Juice Co.]
because that’s where it’s more expensive,” (white/Filipino female, 21). The other woman backed
her up by saying, “I agree… especially when moving to block from all access going to retail
places becomes an occasion. So, I think places like this are even more enticing” (white/Hispanic
female, 20).
16. Are you satisfied with the menu options available overall?
After reviewing printed copies of the menu, all of the participants seemed content with
the menu. One participant said “they look good” in reference to the different meals offered
(white/Italian female, 20).

17. Describe your experience reading the menu at Village Juice Co.? Please explain your
choice.
Three participants circled the neutral middle face, and two circled the happy face
in-between the neutral and the most positive faces. The participants expressed two main opinions
when talking about their experiences with the menu. One was that the menu was hard to read and
therefore made the experience unpleasant. One participant said, “When I went with my friend,
there wasn’t a long line, and we still had a hard time reading the menu. And I could see how that
could be really irritating and I could see how that could be a common experience,” (white/
Filipino female, 21). Another woman agreed, and said, “That’s the reason I don’t look at the
prices very much, because the menu is so hard to read,” (Asian female, 20). Participants also felt
that the small menu was part of the reason the line was long. One woman said, “There’s a lot of
pressure if there are people behind you and you’re trying to squint to read the menu and not hold
up the line,” (white/Italian female, 20). The other main opinion on the menu reading experience
was that the food options looked good, which made the participants happy. One participant
explained her choice by saying, “I would definitely pay a swipe for this,” (white female, 20). It is
important to note that both of the students who circled the positive faces had never actually
ordered food from Village Juice Co. and were basing their opinions solely off of reading the
menu during the focus group.
18. Describe your experience ordering food at Village Juice Co.? Please explain your
choice.
Three of the participants reported circling the second happy face (the one in between
neutral and happiest). The general consensus was that the participants enjoyed the food they got
but that the process of ordering was slightly difficult due to disorganization behind the counter.
One participant explained her choice by saying, “I put the second best one just because it was
good but they were really confused behind the counter” (Asian female, 20). Another student
reported that she had to wait a while for her smoothie because they had to restock some of the
produce. But, another woman reported that the staff “were so nice...they helped me figure out
where to go to order,” (white/Filipino female, 21).
19. What is your favorite part of Village Juice Co.?
Most of the participants reported that their favorite part is the food. One student said,
“My smoothie was incredible,” (white/Italian female, 20). Even the students who had not been
reported that they really liked the menu options, after reviewing the printed copy of the menu.
Some participants enjoyed that the food was healthy and made them feel healthy when they ate
it. Also, one woman praised the company’s marketing because Village Juice is thought of when
choosing a healthy dining location.
20. If you could change anything about Village Juice Co. what would it be?
All participants agreed the one thing that needs to be changed is the price. The
participants felt they were not getting enough for what they were paying. One woman suggested
Village Juice Co. could make a combo meal by allowing a smoothie and a toast or salad for one
meal. Another suggested they could do “a day of the week special like Acorn does” (Asian
female, 20). And, participants also reported that the menu should be enlarged to make ordering
easier.
Summary and Implications
Our participants expressed a fondness for the food and drinks served at Village Juice Co.
and the fresh and healthy qualities of the ingredients. However, they also expressed that prices
are too high, ordering is difficult, the hours are inconvenient for their schedules, the menu is
difficult to read, and that the staff is inefficient. While the food and drinks can do so much for a
reputation, that does not mean that the other concerns of a business are not to be met; rather, they
should be valued of equal importance in order to maintain a good reputation and attract more
people.
Five out of six of the focus group participants were juniors and only two of the
participants had meal plans. So, many of the participants expressed opinions focused on the
pricing and accessibility of Village Juice Co. These students pay more attention to the prices
because they usually spend cash or meal dollars, instead of just swiping. Off-campus students
also must factor in the time it takes for them to get onto campus, therefore they would frequent
Village Juice Co. more often if it were open more hours. It is important for Village Juice Co. to
cater to this demographic because they do express interest in ordering from Village Juice Co.,
they just feel they can’t afford it or get there during opening hours.
Every member of the focus group agreed that the prices were too high. And, every
participant was unaware of the specific options offered through the meal exchange. Village Juice
Co. should work with Elon Dining to increase awareness of what is offered through the meal
exchange, so students will be less concerned about the prices of individual menu options and
more likely to use their swipes. Awareness can be increased by using Elon Dining social media
and campaign posters to clarify what is actually offered through the meal exchange program.
Students also expressed they want to spend their blocks on full meals, not just a smoothie
or a piece of toast. They do not feel like they are getting the full value of their swipe when they
are only ordering a drink. Members of the focus group suggested that Village Juice Co. offer
combination meals for their meal exchange instead of just one menu option. So, for example, a
student could order a smoothie and a piece of toast for one meal swipe. Students even said they
would be ok with increasing what one swipe would be worth if it meant getting more food.
Another student also suggested that Village Juice Co. could offer a daily special so that certain
menu options are on sale during certain days of the week, such as Grilled Cheese and Tomato
Soup Fridays at Acorn. Overall, regardless of what Elon Dining and Village Juice Co. can
actually do to change the price, they do need to work together to change the perception of the
pricing, and to better explain what students can actually get for their swipes in order to ease the
transition for new students and make it simpler for Elon students overall. Accepting a swipe for a
meal in some places, but a snack in others makes it difficult to comprehend the value of a meal
plan, especially if the two would cost around the same amount.
Village Juice Co. closes at two in the afternoon on weekdays and does not open on
weekends. This prevents many people from ordering there, and hurts the overall revenue and
possible net value. Simply by remaining open for another hour or two would allow dozens of
students to spend more there and spread positive awareness in turn. As it is now, people tend to
have to go there either right before or right after class, and hope that the line is not too long as to
prevent them from attending class on time.
Focus group participants also expressed their dissatisfaction with the layout and legibility
of the menu at Village Juice Co., commenting that the small print made them unable to read the
menu until it was their turn to order, making them feel rushed and pressured in the
decision-making process. Therefore, it may be wise for Village Juice Co. to make the menu more
accessible to students by both making the physical menu more legible and by posting the menu
online. The menu for many dining locations is available on the Elon Dining website, letting
students decide where they want to go and what they want to eat ahead of time. The Village
Juice Co. menu on the Elon Dining website is just a link to Village Juice Co.’s company website
and is not accurate as to what options are offered at the Elon location. Providing the menu online
could help keep Elon students returning to Village Juice Co. and attract new students as well.
Overall, students expressed interest in the menu options offered at Village Juice Co., and
those who have visited generally enjoy the food. However, the general consensus of our focus
group is that the prices are too high and ordering is difficult. If Village Juice Co. can adjust to
these criticisms they will better be able to serve Elon’s campus and it will become even more
popular than it already is.
Appendices
Moderator’s Guide
1. Arrival of participants
Create a background questionnaire form.
Name:____________________________ Age: _____________________
● Gender (circle one): 1) Male, 2) Female
● Grade: _____________
● Ethnicity: ___________
● Favorite place to eat on campus: _________________________________
2. Welcome, Introducing moderator, and Purpose of the study

Good evening. I’m Morgan. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to share
your thoughts and opinions with us. You were asked to participate in this discussion because you
are an Elon student and have opinions about Village Juice Co., a retail dining location in
McEwen.
I have a series of questions to ask you about Village Juice Co. There are no right or
wrong answers to my questions. We are simply interested in your honest opinions. Everything
you say and write will remain confidential and will not be associated with you as an individual.
3. Ground rules
Let me go over a few ground rules so we can make sure everyone’s opinions are heard
and I can get through the questions. First, everyone’s ideas are important so please make
sure only one person is talking at a time so I can hear your answers.
There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions so everyone should feel
free to make any relevant comments.
And, as you can see this session will be videotaped (or audiotaped) so I’ll have a record
of your comments to refer to later. My colleagues are also here because they are
interested in what you have to say. Please ignore the observers and camera and just talk
normally.
There will be Q & A time reserved for the end of the session if you have further questions
or comments.
Finally, feel free to eat your food while we discuss. And again, thank you for your time.
4. Participant Introductions

Please introduce yourselves to us. Please do not be shy here, no one will judge you for
what you have to say, and every bit of information helps.
5. Research Objectives
1. RQ1: How aware are Elon students of the different options offered by Village Juice
Co., in terms of meal plans, types of food, prices?
1.1. Raise your hand if you have ever ordered food from Village Juice Co.?
1.2. If you have ordered food from Village Juice Co., what food have you ordered?
1.3. What type of meal plan do you have?
1.4. When you visit Village Juice Co., how do you pay for your food? If you’ve never
been to Village Juice Co., how do you think you would pay?
1.5. What kind of food do you think Village Juice Co. serves?
1.6. Do you know what options are available at Village Juice Co. that are part of the
meal exchange program? What are those options?
1.7. Do you look at the price of the food you want on the menu before purchasing it?
1.8. How much do you normally pay when you order food at Village Juice Co.?
1.9. Circle the words you associate with Village Juice Co.
1.10 Can you name an item from the menu off the top of your head?
2. RQ2: How satisfied are Elon students with Village Juice Co.?
2.1. What factors matter to you when you decide where to eat on campus? (Ask them
to write on a paper) For example: location, options, ease of use
2.2. Are you a regular at any retail dining location at Elon? Why do you go there
regularly?
2.3. What do you think of the prices at Village Juice Co.? (Show menu)
2.4. What is your favorite part of Village Juice Co.?
2.5. If you could change anything about Village Juice Co. what would it be?
2.6. Describe your experience when reading the menu to decide what you want at
Village Juice Co.?
2.7. Describe your experience ordering food at Village Juice Co.? Please explain your
choice.
2.8. Have you enjoyed the food you have ordered from Village Juice Co.?
2.9. Are you satisfied with the menu options available overall? (Show menu)
2.10. Are you satisfied with the menu options available through the meal exchange?
6. Summary and wrap up questions

Overall, there were many different opinions about Village Juice Co. However, it seems
unanimous that ______? Does anyone see it differently? It seems that most people agree ____,
but some think _____. Does anyone want to clarify or add to their opinion? Is there any other
information about your opinion of Village Juice Co. that you think we should know?
7. Q&A time - Questions from Participants

We have a few minutes left. Do you have any questions for me regarding what we have
discussed today or our study?
8. Closing
Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedules to talk to us. Your opinions
have been very helpful to hear.
Order of Questions
1. What type of meal plan do you have?
2. What factors matter to you when you decide where to eat on campus? For example: location,
options, ease of use <ask to write on paper>
3. Are you a regular at any retail dining location at Elon? Why do you go there regularly?
4. What kind of food do you think Village Juice Co. serves?
5. Can you name an item from the menu off the top of your head?
6. Raise your hand if you have ever ordered food from Village Juice Co.?
7. If you have ordered food from Village Juice Co., what food have you ordered?
8. Have you enjoyed the food you have ordered from Village Juice Co.?
9. Circle the words you associate with Village Juice Co.
10. When you visit Village Juice Co., how do you pay for your food? If you’ve never been to
Village Juice Co., how do you think you would pay?
11. How much do you normally pay when you order food at Village Juice Co.?
12. Do you look at the price of the food you want on the menu before purchasing it?
13. What do you think of the prices at Village Juice Co.? <Show menu>
14. Do you know what options are available at Village Juice Co. that are part of the meal
exchange program? What are those options?
15. Are you satisfied with the menu options available through the meal exchange?
16. Are you satisfied with the menu options available overall? <show menu>
17. Describe your experience reading the menu at Village Juice Co.? Please explain your choice.
18. Describe your experience ordering food at Village Juice Co.? Please explain your choice.
19. What is your favorite part of Village Juice Co.?
20. If you could change anything about Village Juice Co. what would it be?
Focus Group Transcript
Moderator and Participants of the Study
Moderator’s name Morgan Collins
Participants description Provide participants’ names and their demographic

information below (Please see sample on Moodle)
Junie Burke Kristen Nolan Amanda Ruvolo

Female Female Female
Junior Junior Junior
White/hispanic White White/Italian
20 years old 20 years old 20 years old
David D’Ardenne Liz Sobus Kylee Gomilla

Male Female Female
Freshman Junior Junior
White Asian White/Filipino
20 years old 20 years old 21 years old
Full Transcript
Person Discussion
Morgan Alright. Let’s get started. I’m Morgan. Thank you for taking time out of
your schedules to be here. We appreciate your thoughts and opinions.
You were asked to participate in this discussion because you are an Elon
student and you may have opinions about Village Juice Co. And if you
haven’t been there, I’m sure you still have opinions hopefully. I have a
series of questions to ask you about Village Juice Co. There are no right
or wrong answers, we are simply interested in your honest opinions. And
everything you say and write will remain confidential and will not be
associated with you as an individual. So I’m going to go over some

ground rules so that we can make sure everyone’s opinions are heard.
First, everyone's ideas are important so please make sure that only one
person is talking at a time so I can hear your answers. As you can see this
session is being videotaped so I can have a recording of your answers for
later. My colleagues, Jess and Josh, are also here. Just ignore them.
There will be time for Q&A at the end if you have any comments or
questions. Feel free to eat your food while we discuss. Are there any
questions at this point?
Morgan Ok, so we are going to go around the circle and introduce ourselves. Say
your name, your class status, your hometown, and anything else you
would like to share. I’ll start. I’m Morgan. I’m a junior. I’m from
Pittsburgh. And I’m a Strategic Communications major.
Amanda Hi. I’m Amanda. I’m a junior from Still Water, New Jersey and I’m a
history major with a teaching licensure.
Kristen My names Kristen. I’m from Acton, Massachusetts. I’m a junior and I’m
an elementary education major.
Junie My names Junie and I’m a junior. I’m a human service studies and
strategic communications major, and I’m from Raleigh.
Kylee I’m Kylee. I’m a junior as well. I’m a mathematics major with a teaching
licensure. And I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina.
David I’m David. I’m a freshman. I am a cinema arts and television major and
I’m from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Liz I’m Liz. I’m a junior. I’m from Philly too, and I’m a strat comm major.
Morgan Alright. Nice job you guys. So we’re going to move into some questions
now, start off pretty easy. What type of meal plan do you have? We can
just go around in a circle again.
Amanda I don’t have one.
Kristen I have 200 block.
Junie I don’t have one.

Kylee I do not have one.
David All access.
Liz I don’t have one now.
Morgan Alright. On your hand out please take a few minutes to write down what
factors matter to you when you decide where to eat on campus. It could
be location, options- in terms of menu options, convenience, timing.
We’ll discuss when you’re ready.
Kristen Can you repeat the question? Sorry.
Morgan What factors matter to you when you decide where to eat on campus?
Morgan So does anyone want to share what factors matter to them when they
decide where to eat on campus?
Liz Like location, price, and what I’m in the mood for.
Kylee I agree with those. Also, too since I don’t have a meal plan it depends on
if I have food at home. If I want to grocery shopping or not.
Junie Cost was probably the biggest one for me because not being on a meal
plan I think the cost of things seem a lot more real.
Kristen I said like timing, like convenience and whether I like what they have or
not.
Amanda Yea, going off of that I want to make sure I have a variety of options if
I’m going to a dining hall. I typically don’t go into a dining hall because
I don’t have a meal plan and meal dollars are real expensive to use. And
also location, when the weather is like crappy out.
David Yea, I have to say a variety of foods would be nice. Like I know like
maybe different ingredients or different stuff that they serve, like that
sort of thing.
Morgan Awesome. So based on those factors are you guys regulars at any dining
locations at Elon?
David Probably McEwen because it’s close to my dorm.

Morgan And at McEwen do you go to any of the retail locations?
David I do.
Morgan Which ones?
David I have been to Pei Wei once. And I have also been to Knead once. And I
have been to Village Juice once.
Morgan Rounding it out.
David Rounding it out.
Morgan Any other regular customers?
Kylee I don’t know if this counts but I go to Acorn a lot now because it's really
cheap. Sandwiches are like five dollars and soup is like three. And it's
like close to classes and stuff so I go there a lot.
Amanda When I was a first year I went to McEwen all the time because the
location was really great if you were a first year who lived in historic.
Kristen Last year I went to Nades/Clohan a lot because I liked their food but I
haven’t been there recently.
Junie Yea I think, not only not having a meal plan but also where I lived had a
serious impact on where I went. So last year, when I lived in Nades I
went to Nades all the time. And then also, it matters where your classes
are too. So, if you’re a comm student you go to McEwen like all the time
because it’s right there. I guess it’s a lot of different things.
Morgan Anyone have anything to add to that?
Morgan No, ok. So we’re going to move on to some questions specifically about
Village Juice Co. So what kind of food do you think Village Juice Co.
serves?
Liz Healthy food.
Amanda Salad.
Kristen Smoothies.
Amanda Smoothies.
Junie Fruit. Things with fruit in it.
Kristen I’ve heard they have avocado toast.
Kylee They have grain bowls too, which are basically salads.
David Ginger shots. Would not recommend.
Morgan Anything else?
Amanda Juice.
Morgan Can any of you guys name a specific menu item?
Amanda Moco-nana. It is a smoothie I got once. I think. Right?
Kylee Sunset smoothie.
Junie Bacon and avocado toast.
Kylee The daughter’s grain bowl. Something daughters.
Morgan Nice. Ok, raise your hand if you have ever ordered food from Village
Juice Co.?
Amanda Does a smoothie count as food?
Morgan Just ordered from.
Amanda Ok.
Amanda, Kylee, *Raised their hands*

David, and Liz
Morgan So, for those of you who have ordered food from Village Juice Co., do
you remember what you ordered?
Liz I got an avocado toast and a matcha juice.
David I got that coconut bowl thing. I remember it had coconut. I don’t
remember what else was in it. But it was a smoothie bowl with coconut.
Kylee I’ve gotten, whenever I’ve gone I’ve always used someone else’s block
and I don’t know if that’s important or not. But I’ve never chosen to
spend the amount of money. But the things I have gotten I’ve gotten the
sunset smoothie a couple of times, the avocado toast, and then the
daughter’s grain bowl salad.
Amanda The only time I went I also used someone’s swipe and I got the
moco-nana.
Morgan Would you guys say you enjoyed the food that you’ve had there?
Amanda It was good.
Kylee Yea. I got two things one of them I liked, one of them I didn’t. So, it's
like fifty-fifty.
David It was very juicy.
Morgan As the name promises. Anything else to add to that?
Liz I liked it, yeah.
Morgan Good. So if you guys could look at your handout again, we’re going to
take a minute to circle the words we associate with Village Juice Co.
Then we’ll discuss.
Morgan Have you guys all circled your words? Yes? Ok good. Who would like to
share what words they’ve circled? David?
David Convenient, but expensive.
Morgan Ok. Anyone else?
Amanda I had healthy, cleanse, meal plan, toast, smoothies, juice, vegan,
expensive.
Junie I had really similar ones. I had healthy, cleanse, toast, smoothies, juice,
vegan, and expensive.
Liz I had healthy, smoothies, convenient, juice, vegan, expensive.
Kylee I had healthy, meal plan, toast, smoothies, juice, and expensive.
Kristen I had healthy, cleanse, meal plan, toast, smoothies, juice, and expensive.
Morgan All right. Would anyone like to elaborate on any of the words they
circled and explain why?
Junie I think I was abroad and I follow Elon dining on Instagram and someone
did a takeover or something or someone like Elon Dining and on their
story they had a Village Juice juice and the caption was just “this cost me
ten dollars” or nine dollars or something like that. And ever since then,
the first thing I think of when I hear Village Juice is how expensive it is.
And honestly, when I start talking about it or if I’m with someone talking
about it, that’s one of the first things I say. “Isn’t it so expensive?” I
think when Morgan told me that Village Juice Co. was this client, I think
that's the first thing I said. So.
Morgan Does anyone have anything they would like to add to that?
Liz Yeah, I agree. I think it’s expensive. It's like ten dollars for a bottle of
juice. So now that we’re off the meal plan because we were abroad its
like really expensive.
David It's also kinda like yes it’s higher quality than the dining hall, because its
a separate thing, but it’s not high-end high-end. So you know if Acorn
can do well with lower prices than I don’t see why Village Juice can’t
lower their prices a little bit.
Amanda Yeah, I circled meal plan because I feel like without a meal plan I would
not go there. When I found out how much my smoothie actually cost for
the size, I was blown away because Tropical Smoothie can give me three
times that and probably for half the price so.
Morgan Anything to add?
Kylee Yeah. I’m totally fine spending money when I go out to eat for a full
meal. Like when you go out to eat nowadays it’s like eight nine dollars,
depending on where you go. And that’s fine with me, but that's for a full
meal. A smoothie doesn’t seem like it would be filling enough, or like a
juice would be filling enough. So, not saying it has to be a quantity
amount, like sometimes that’s making sure it has a lot of protein in it or
that’s to make sure it is filling.
Morgan Ok, so we’ve kind of touched on this a little bit, Kylee you said you’ve
only paid with other people’s block swipes, and Amanda you said you
only paid when it was the soft opening so you didn’t pay, how did you
guys (Liz and David) when you went?
Liz Phoenix cash.
David Same here.
Morgan And if you guys were to go (Kristen and Junie) how do you think you
would pay?
Junie I think I would pay with food dollars. Just because there is that fifteen
percent discount that I’ve been thinking about loading onto my card.
Amanda Do it. It’s worth it.
Junie Ok.
Kristen I would probably use a block swipe or food dollars because I’m thinking
about switching.
Morgan Ok, but for now you would use a block swipe?
Kristen Yeah.
Morgan Ok. So do you know much you normally pay when you order food at
Village Juice Co.? Any idea? Could you give me a ballpark estimate?
David Thirteen dollars.
Kylee I think the toast was around nine something. And then the juices were
ten. I think actually the grain bowl I got was eleven, twelve, or
something. It was something like that.
Amanda Yeah, I think the smoothies are like nine or ten.
Kylee Or maybe their toast was like eight, because it was the cheapest thing
there.
Morgan When you guys order do you look at the price on the menu before
ordering?
David Yes.
Morgan So, we’re going to pass around some pictures of the menu. Feel free to
observe it and then pass it on to your neighbor. Take a minute and see
what they have.
Morgan So, after looking at the menu, do you guys have any further comments
about the prices?
Junie It’s actually not as bad as what I had in my head. Like it’s not as bad as I
thought it was going to be. Granted, like I think it could, I think for the
ingredients it has in it is kind of reasonable. But when you think of a
smoothie you don’t expect to be paying seven or eight bucks and that’s
what’s kind of jarring. But when you look at like if I went to a restaurant
like Panera you’re going to end up paying for a salad like eight fifty, so
it’s kind of similar.
Liz I think for being on campus, that’s what makes it more surprising. Like
when you’re on campus you just expect it to be cheaper.
David Yeah, I have to say that. And also, looking at the prices it's a lot cheaper
than the acai bowls at Mediterranean deli.
Kristen I also think it depends on the size of what you’re getting. I’ve never been
so I don’t really know what the sizes are but I feel like big portions for
that much I guess that's reasonable. But if it’s like this big, then a
smoothie for like seven or eight dollars that’s just kind of ridiculous.
Amanda I also like don’t know what their regular prices are. Like, I don’t know if
they upped their prices because it’s a college campus and if they are
upping them for a college campus, I think it’s wrong for them to assume
that college students have that kind of money to spend.
Morgan Ok. So going off of that, do you guys know what options are available
for the meal exchange program? Like if you were to use a block swipe?
No?
Kylee A smoothie
Amanda That’s it?
Kylee Yeah, I think it’s just like a smoothie. And I think you can just get a
salad, or you can just get a grain bowl.
Morgan Anything else to add to that, Kylee anything else to add?
Morgan Ok, so after looking at the menu are you guys satisfied with the options?
Kristen Yeah
Amanda They look good
Morgan So, I know for the meal exchange a salad, a grain bowl, a smoothie bowl,
and a smoothie are all one swipe. Except for certain things like the acai
bowl and some salads. And extra toppings cost more.
Amanda That’s ridiculous. I think when I use a swipe at the dining hall it costs
like eleven dollars, and I’m using a swipe for a seven dollar smoothie.
That’s not fair.
Kristen Also, dining halls are all you can eat. So, you’re paying that much but
you can stay and keep eating. Where you can’t do that at Village Juice.
Morgan Right. Anything to add to that?
Kylee It is a worst deal but that still happens at like Acorn too. Like when I had
a meal plan I would use a block swipe at Acorn and I would lose money
because a sandwich is only worth like five dollars. So, I guess I’m not
surprised you can lose money with that. I think that makes it more
enticing to go here with the meal plan. Like the value if you purchase the
right things, it’s kind of like Freshii but I’m always going use my swipes
here because that’s where it’s more expensive.
Junie Yeah, I agree with Kylee on that. I think the part about Freshii really
resonated because when I went I always thought I was getting the full
value of my swipe. Especially because moving to block from all access
going to retail places becomes an occasion. So, I think places like this are
even more enticing.
Morgan Anything else to add to that?
David Unfortunately, I do have to leave.
Morgan Ok. Thank you so much for your time.
Morgan Ok. So, look at the bottom of your hand out. And if you could please
circle the face that best describes your experience when reading the
menu from Village Juice Co. Then we’ll discuss when you’re ready.
Would anyone like to share which face they circled.
Kylee I circled the kind of upset face, more like irritated. When I went with my
friend, there wasn’t a long line, and we still had a hard time reading the
menu. And I could see how that could be really irritating and I could see
how that could be a common experience.
Morgan Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Liz Yea, that’s the reason I don’t look at the prices very much, because the
menu is so hard to read.
Amanda There’s a lot of pressure if there’s people behind you and you’re trying to
squint to read the menu and not hold up the line. They have one or two
menu right there on the counter but those are also in the small print, so
they don’t really help.
Kylee That’s why the lines so long. People don’t know what to order.
Morgan Anything else to add to that?
Kristen When looking at that menu the food looked good.
Junie I agree with Kristen. I put the kind of happy face. Like the coconut
smoothie looks really good. Like brussels and bacon.
Kristen Like I would definitely pay for a swipe for this.
Morgan Now, if on the next face scale chose one that represents your experience
ordering food at Village Juice Co.
Morgan Would you like to share which face you chose?

Liz I put the second best one just because it was good but they were really
confused behind the counter. But I still got my thing.
Kylee I put that happy face as well. I think I specifically chose to go when
there was no line so I went at an off time so it was really quick. And they
were so nice it was my first time there and they helped me figure out
where to go to order. So that was really helpful.
Amanda I did the same smiley face too. I had no pressure because there was no
line behind me. But after I ordered my smoothie they had to restock so I
had to wait while they got all new bananas and stuff. So that took awhile.
Morgan Ok. So, who wants to share their favorite part of Village Juice Co.?
Liz I think the menu items are good.
Amanda My smoothie was incredible. Like I wish I had a meal plan just for that.
Kylee I really like the toast. It was more filling than I thought it would be.
Morgan Favorite hypothetical parts?
Junie I really like the menu items too. That’s the biggest part for me. I also
think they have great marketing as well. The fact that I think it is healthy
is due to that too.
Liz You feel healthy after eating it.
Morgan So, if you could change anything about Village Juice Co. what would
you change?
Kylee Price.
Amanda Or if you’re going to keep the price make it more bang for your buck.
Like make the smoothies bigger or part of the meal. So people feel like
what they’re buying worthwhile.
Kylee They should make a combo with the smoothies and the toast or salad. It
would still be expensive but you’d be getting more.
Liz Or maybe do a day of the week special like Acorn does.

Amanda That’s my favorite thing.
Junie They could make the menu bigger to make the line go faster.
Morgan Anything else to add?
Amanda The add-ons seem really expensive. Like a dollar more on top of a seven
dollar salad seems like way too much.
Morgan So, we’re going to wrap up now. Overall, I think there was a consensus
that Village Juice Co. is expensive but given the ingredients, it might be
worth it depending on how you’re ordering it. There were a lot of
different opinions on that. Does anyone see it differently? No? Ok. Does
anyone want to clarify or add to anything they said? No? Ok. Is there any
other information about your opinion of Village Juice Co. that would be
helpful for us to know?
Amanda Oh, if they want people to go they need to realize a lot of juniors and
seniors are off campus and don’t have meal plans. So they need to lower
the prices if they want people to go, it would attract more people to use
their meal dollars.
Liz Also, if their hours were different because they close so early.
Morgan What would better hours be for you?
Liz If they were open later because they close at like two.
Kylee Also, they need more staff because they take so long.
Amanda On the weekends it would be great for brunch too.
Morgan Do you have any questions or comments?
Amanda Are you sharing this Village Juice? I want my voice heard.
Morgan We’re not sure yet. We don’t know if we should go through Elon dining
or what.
Morgan Ok well, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules
to be here with us. Your thoughts are very valuable and we appreciate
them so much.
Work Distribution Table
Name Work done by group member
Morgan Moderator, Background and Objectives, Questions and Findings, Summary

and Implications, Editing of the final paper, PowerPoint
Jess Focus Group Transcript, Methodology and Research Procedures, Questions

and Findings, Summary and Implications, Editing of the final paper,
PowerPoint
Josh Summary and Implications, Editing of the final paper

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Focus Group Written Report

Village Juice Co.

Village Juice Co. Background and Objectives of Study…………………………………………..2

Methodology and Research Procedures…………………………………………………………...3

Questions and Findings……………………………………………………………………………3

Summary and Implications………………………………………………………………………12

Village Juice Co. Background and Objectives of Study

with cash or credit card.

Co. after their first experience.

maintain students’ current perceived level of interest in Village Juice Co.

Methodology and Research Procedures

were friends of the researchers and volunteered their time.

Questions and Findings

1. What type of meal plan do you have?

plan, and one had an All-Access meal plan.

location, options, ease of use.

personal preference, variety of options, ingredients used, and the weather.

20-year-old white/Hispanic female participant.

4. What kind of food do you think Village Juice Co. serves?

This question represents a shift toward understanding participants’ awareness of the

9. Circle the words you associate with Village Juice Co.

Healthy Toast Expensive

Cleanse Smoothies Unhealthy

Cheap Convenient Sandwiches

Confusing Juice Meat

Meal Plan Vegan Cash

protein in it or that’s to make sure it is filling.”

Village Juice Co., how do you think you would pay?

about loading to [her] card,” (white/Hispanic female, 20).

smoothies “are like nine or ten” dollars (white/Italian female, 20).

other participant answered the question.

13. What do you think of the prices at Village Juice Co.?

exchange program? What are those options?

(white/Italian female, 20).

(white/Italian female, 20).

menu during the focus group.

where to go to order,” (white/Filipino female, 21).

19. What is your favorite part of Village Juice Co.?

choosing a healthy dining location.

Summary and Implications

prevent them from attending class on time.

popular than it already is.

2. Welcome, Introducing moderator, and Purpose of the study

4​. ​Participant Introductions

6. Summary and wrap up questions

7. Q&A time - Questions from Participants

Focus Group Transcript

Moderator and Participants of the Study

Moderator’s name Morgan Collins

Participants description Provide participants’ names and their demographic

Junie Burke Kristen Nolan Amanda Ruvolo

David D’Ardenne Liz Sobus Kylee Gomilla

associated with you as an individual. So I’m going to go over some

Amanda I don’t have one.

Kristen I have 200 block.

Junie I don’t have one.

Kylee I do not have one.

David All access.

Liz I don’t have one now.

Kristen Can you repeat the question? Sorry.

David Probably McEwen because it’s close to my dorm.

Morgan And at McEwen do you go to any of the retail locations?

Morgan Which ones?

4. Participant Introductions

Amanda, Kylee, Raised their hands