Despite all of the disruptions caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Kent State University seniors have stayed on task to graduate on schedule. A team of six seniors (four from Twinsburg Academic Center, two from Trumbull) made their final Twinsburg student group presentation via Zoom videoconferencing on April 16, each contributing remotely, from their own homes.
This was the final requirement for Instructor Tim McFadden’s Business Consulting and Practicum course. Through the use of Zoom Technology, McFadden, Business Program Director at Kent State Columbiana, makes his course available to Kent State students enrolled at many regional campuses. The students gain hands-on experience by working with a local community partner to help develop its marketing plan. In this case, the local senior cohort worked to increase public awareness of and traffic to Aaron & Moses (A&M) Restaurant, which is owned and operated by the City of Twinsburg.
“Students gained important hands-on experience while completing the project,” commented Professor McFadden. “By collaborating with a community partner, students were able to apply what they have learned in their past coursework to real-life business situations. This experience will be valuable as the students start their careers.”
Having opened in September of 2018, Aaron & Moses is located on Glenwood Drive, within the Gleneagles Golf Club & Events facility. While it is frequented by golfers, the historic pub/tavern/grille wants the greater Twinsburg community to know that it welcomes them, as well.
Students Rachel Dale and Gabriella Shreves from the Trumbull campus; and Haylee Irwin, Rachel Pompeo, Jill Alendri, and Brian Snyder from TAC conducted a SWOT analysis to help identify the restaurant’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. They also surveyed Gleneagles Golf Club members and restaurant patrons that helped to determine what they prefer in terms of menu items, special promotions/reward programs, and entertainment/interactive experience options.
Students recognize that the historic nature of the eatery is one of its greatest assets, as it is named for Twinsburg founders Aaron and Moses Wilcox. They were a pair of identical twins who purchased a tract of land called Millsville in 1819, then renamed it as Twinsburg, establishing the city’s enduring identity. In addition to its namesake, the restaurant space showcases historic design elements, as well.
While A&M maintains a competitive advantage by offering certain weekly specials, students recommend increasing public awareness since it is fairly new in the market and is located off the beaten path. Students suggest a more broad-based social media presence beyond Facebook, utilizing food delivery apps, and hosting more interactive events that will attract a better cross-section of the Twinsburg community.
Gabriella Shreves suggested that the restaurant should be “like the 19th hole for the regular golfers. There's 18 holes in golf. And so the restaurant should be the 19th hole because it's always going to be the last place the golfers would want to visit at the end of the at the end of their round of golf.”
Susan Emens, Ph.D., Assistant Dean at Kent State Geauga and Twinsburg Academic Center, sat in on the Zoom presentation and asked students follow-up questions regarding their senior project. Following the student presentation, Emens commented, “I really enjoyed listening to their ideas and was impressed by, not only their grasp of the issues but also their narrowing of the plan to some feasible suggestions for the client.”
Shreve concluded, “We just appreciate this opportunity, and, just as we learned that experiential marketing can help a business as like Aaron and Moses, we know that experiential learning like this situation has helped us a great deal.”