small-scale food businesses?

[sh_kayam]

Hello!

I'm doing a user study for an academic research project here - and this might be an interesting discussion anyway. It would be very helpful if you could respond to some/all the questions I have below, or... go on tangents, discuss, etc... Thanks!

I have a more interesting idea I can share here later, and maybe a link to a prototype to get feedback on, but need to collect some un-biased data first... ;-)

• What are your professional culinary interests, goals?
  
• What are your thoughts on small-scale food businesses (excluding dine-in restaurants):
  • Your interest?
    
  • In order to achieve this kind of business... (you can pick something specific: mobile catering, specialty, etc.)
    • Culinary-related needs?
      
    • Non-culinary-related needs?
      

    [*]Pros of this business?

    [*]Cons of this business?

  [*]If you could be given complete flexibility on the operations regarding the amount of meals to provide, the variety to provide, and the days/times you would provide them without any negative impact on the business – would you feel differently about this kind of business?

  • How would it change your responses above?
    
  • What would be your preferences on the amount and type of meals you’d prefer to prepare and the schedule during which you would offer them?
    

  [*]What kind of information would you be able to provide potential customers with regarding the food you are offering?

  • Ingredients, nutritional information, price, specific day/time, pickup-location?
    
  • Other information you can think of providing, that they you want to customers to know?
    

  [*]If there was a system you could use in order to advertise/broadcast information about your food services, what kind of technology would you prefer using?

  • Web browser on computer?
    
  • Mobile device?
    • Text messaging
      
    • Application on a smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry)
      

    [*]Other

[gfron1]

Are you looking for us to reply publicly or through PM?

[sh_kayam]

Are you looking for us to reply publicly or through PM?

←

I was assuming folks to reply publicly in the thread, but either way is fine. Later on, when I get to the prototype, some one-on-one, back-and-forth discussion over PM could be really useful, if anyone is interested enough in providing that kind of feedback. But for now, just collecting some background info... =)