Focus Groups

            I conducted three focus groups to gain more of an understanding of the potential customers at The Hitch. I developed a list of around 50 questions that would be asked during the course of the interviews, depending on the direction the group took discussion.           

            The questions were directed towards industry trends, if and how often they visit The Hitch, what features and/or components they liked about The Hitch as it is, the competition in town, and what their ideal food trailer would be and why.

            The first group was conducted October 4, 2011 in a classroom in Old Main on the Texas State University campus. The group had five participants; four females between 20 and 24 years old, and one male, aged 23. All five of the participants in this group are current students at Texas State University, and four of the participants live in San Marcos. The fifth lives in Austin, Texas.

            When talking about industry trends, the group agreed that they’ve noticed prices going up, quality going down, and the desire to try something other than fast food was strong. They brought up food trucks, and seemed rather excited to talk about the different ones they’ve seen or sampled in Austin. No one was aware there were two established food trailer parks in walking distance to campus. The general consensus was that everyone had seen the competition, due to location. There was also an assumption that The Hitch had actually moved and changed its name to the competition.

            The group also decided that they would be very interested in food trucks. “I love eating outside,” said one of the participants. “Having lunch or dinner picnic style is more fun and interesting, and something people don’t do enough any more.”

            Another point the group made was that they’d prefer a truck with interesting designs and exciting logos. “It makes the people who are part of the truck give a darn about what they’re doing,” said one of the group members. “A trailer with a fun design or look is more likely to get my vote and money than one that looks plain.”

            The second group I conducted was on October 7, 2011 in The University Police Department’s conference room. There were six people in attendance. There were three females, aged between 22 and 40 and 3 males, aged between 36 and 43. The group was made up of working professionals in law enforcement in San Marcos. I selected individuals for this group because of the convenience and quality that food trucks would bring during hectic days.

            When eating out, they as a whole typically go out for lunch and eat burgers, steaks, Italian, sushi and Mexican. Most of the group members were not likely to spend more than $10 on a lunch, however two individuals were willing to splurge for lunches a few times a month. The officers were likely to try something new, as eating the same thing every day is tiring their tastes.

            Incentives were something the group started talking about, and agreed that if there was a coupon, a buy one get half off, or any other motivation to go one place over another, they would be more likely to eat where the that enticement is. A daily special was something that the males preferred at various locations over the females.

            Another point that was made in the group was they would be happy to know their food was of good quality, organic and locally sourced. “If I knew that the food trailers were creating local and organic product, I’d be more likely to go,” said one of the participants. “I would pay more for local food.”

            The third focus group was conducted on October 10, 2011, in a study room in Alkek Library on the Texas State University campus. The group was made up of 5 female students between the ages of 18 and 21.

            My findings from this group were very similar to the first group of students. They all agreed that cleanliness of food trailers would be something very important, and perhaps having inspection reports or certificates clearly displayed would be something they would love to see before making the decision to eat at a trailer. It was clear that these girls were apprehensive about eating out of a food cart, due to pre-conceived notions regarding roach coaches and not thinking about them as mobilized gourmet chef kitchens.

            They also agreed that they would be very likely to eat from a cart if the food were healthy, local, delicious, and if the cart looked clean and interesting. They also said that by having a cool logo and design or clever look to the truck would help bring them in.

            The conclusion I drew from all three of these groups is that the majority of people were excited about the prospect of food trailer parks, but had no idea that The Hitch was even in existence. They, for the most part, were aware of the competition, and not the location of The Hitch. 

            Conducting focus groups was incredibly helpful because I was able to talk to the target audience in an intimate setting about what it was they knew about the topic, what it was they liked and did not like, and what they would want if they had their ideal setting. The information gathered is invaluable in discovering what it is the people in this town want.