The Food Factory, which struggled to survive in its first semester on campus, is making a comeback.
The Central Campus restaurant, which replaced the Devil’s Bistro at the beginning of the academic year, struggled to attract customers in its first few months. At the time, owner Jim Schmid said he had difficulty adapting the business model of the original Food Factory location in Cary, N.C. to a university setting, losing approximately $15,000 in September. But the beginning of the Spring semester brought a host of positive changes for the restaurant.
Schmid saw an influx of business from students returning from abroad, who filled empty apartments on Central. Additionally Duke Dining introduced Robert Coffey as its new director in February.
Jim Wulforst, former director of dining services who brought Food Factory to Duke, stepped down from his position in August—causing communication challenges between Schmid and the Food Factory. Since arriving, Coffey has already provided helpful feedback and suggestions, Schmid said.
“Having [Coffey] at Dining has really improved things there,” Schmid said. “Without a leader, I think they were overwhelmed managing all the campus restaurants.”
In the short time he has been head of dining, Coffey noted that he has already seen the Food Factory making steps toward having a sustainable, profitable business.
“They’re still in the transition phase of taking student input, listening and trying to make changes,” Coffey said. “They’ve put a menu in place that the students were looking for.”
Early challenges have forced Schmid to shift the way he runs his restaurant, he said.
He noted that they initially used the same menu from their Cary restaurant, but it was not successful. The Central Campus location was more suitable for dinner rather than lunch, unlike the old Cary location. Students who live on Central tend to eat lunch on West Campus because they are already there for their classes, Schmid noted.
As a result, Schmid changed the menu to include dinner items such as pizza and pasta. The lack of daytime business made it difficult for the restaurant to earn enough money to cover payroll and food expenses, causing the restaurant to close for lunch most weekdays.
“When we first opened, I don’t think we used the pizza oven for over a month,” Schmid said.
Coffey added that he believes the eatery will be able to continue to adapt to student needs and become a long-lasting fixture on campus.
“I am optimistic, and [Schmid] feels the same way,” Coffey said. “They really care about the business, and they are doing a good job.”
Despite brightening prospects, some hurdles still remain. The business is now making money, but it has yet to make up for its dismal first months, Schmid said.
“We dug a hole that we are definitely still digging out of,” Schmid said. “We hope to pay off the money we borrowed by this summer, but I still haven’t gotten a paycheck.”
Student support is key to any campus eatery’s survival, and the Food Factory had to take time to build its reputation, said senior Jane Moore, co-chair of the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee.
“A lot of [their success] was them finding a niche,” Moore said. “It’s tough on Central from the very beginning.”
DUSDAC served as an adviser for the Food Factory, as it does for all campus eateries, taking feedback from students and using it to offer suggestions.
Moore added that she expects the Food Factory’s business to grow in the next year, as they continue to expand and refine their menu and as next year’s house model brings more selective living groups to Central.
“The new house model is putting a whole different customer base on Central,” Moore said, noting that she expects an increase in group events at the Food Factory.
Whatever changes may come to the Food Factory moving forward will be made with students in mind, Schmid said.
“I just want students to feel at home,” he said. “This is their space, not ours.”
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