Friday, May 27, 2016
Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1
The What: It is often difficult to pick where you want to eat/drink when going out because you rarely know of all the options near you or the best deals for that day.
The Who: People who eat outside the home, focusing mainly on the college aged student in Gainesville.
The Why: People like to go to the places they know and are comfortable in. They also may be unaware that restaurants even exist due to the geography of Gainesville and the University of Florida.
Here is a link to the playlist that contains the interviews for this exercise.
Testing the Who:
From the interviews, I have found that while I will focus on college aged students at UF there is an additional group that has this problem. For several of the people I interviewed the problem of where to eat also arises for their parents when the come to Gainesville because they are unfamiliar with the options here, but they would prefer to eat at a wholly Gainesville restaurant. Really get the full experience, instead of eating at the same chain they could eat at back home.
Testing the What:
From the interviews I gathered that this boundary is only a concern when they are trying to eat out or go get a drink, it is not all the time. Some times people end up cooking or eating at home instead so they do not have the problem of where to eat. I also found out that with college students a big plus would not only be to know where to go, but also know where has the best possible deal for that given day/week so they can eat/drink without breaking the bank.
Testing the Why:
The why varied a little bit between individuals, some of the time it was where to eat on a special occasion i.e. parents in town, for others it came down to whether they could eat at the place they wanted to or if they had to find somewhere similar, but everyone came to the same conclusion that they do tend to go to the same few restaurants or bars and never really expand past their own personal bubble of comfort. So there are other variables but this seems to be the most prevalent and noticed.
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Hi Chris,
ReplyDeleteI was very interested in reading your post because I, too have wasted a lot of time trying to find the best places to get food in Gainesville. So many times I have looked forward to something special but only to find that the establishment has closed for the night, gone on vacation or simply are out of business. Choices for quality meals are surprisingly limited in this college town, so it would benefit many to really be able to know where to go at any given time of the week.
Hey Chris, I related a lot to your post. I have only been in Gainesville for two semesters and I struggle all the time with finding good places to eat. I have found though that the best way to find good restaurants in talking to the students who have lived here their whole life. I really like how you varied in who you interviewed just a little. You got different perspectives which helped. Overall very good post!
ReplyDeleteHey Chris!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, your opportunity is extremely relatable to me and so many thousands of other students/parents, not even just at UF. I read your solution up above, and think that your app is a great idea. It's amazing how many times I want to go out to eat in gainesville and can never decide on a place or know what deals are happening where for that day. Recently, I started using the Hooked app to find some good deals, but it's so selective and often places I never go anyway. Your app expands that even further and allows people to have the option to choose what they are craving and then narrow that down to which of those places is offering a great deal. With Gainesville being so full of students on a tight budget, there are so many places that offer cheap deals but don't often get the word out enough about them. Like you said, everyone is almost always on their phones anyway, and this would be a great opportunity to not only help people decide where to eat, but to increase awareness and sales for local restaurants as well. Simple and great idea.
Hey Chris. I am on an online student and not in Gainesville, but the way you describe how your app will work can easily be set up for different markets. I am in the Bradenton FL area and would be interested in having the same kind of list and deals in my area. Its a good idea, it just needs something, maybe an Gator sport star endorsement, to get the ball rolling. Once you have peoples attention, the quality of the app and word of mouth should let it grow. Good luck.
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ReplyDeleteChris, as a college student in a town where going out to eat or drink is the main source of entertainment, I certainly relate to the issue. I think that you're very correct in your statement: "People like to go to the places they know and are comfortable in." You would certainly have to provide some initiative such as a point system or coupons for visiting new places or taking advantages of great deals at local mom and pop restaurants native to the area.
ReplyDeleteHey Chris- I really enjoyed your post. I too take forever to figure out where to go out to eat in Gainesville, especially when family or my family come to visit. It's hard to find the really good authentic places that do not cost too much. I hate using Yelp because I feel like the big restaurants pay to be put at the top of the search results and you can never find the best places Gville has to offer.
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