Shedd Aquarium - Bubblenet Cafe

Grow guest satisfaction and revenue at your aquarium with a partner that shares your same mission. For Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, that mission is sparking compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world. Since 1995, Sodexo Live! has been proud to work together with Shedd Aquarium to make an impact on those visiting.    

As the main food service retail outlet at the Shedd Aquarium, the Bubblenet Café is tasked with servicing nearly 2 million guests per year. Just three months after a renovation to each of the five food stations, Bubblenet Cafe experienced a 30% increase in per caps and a 40% decrease in transaction times. Guests loved the open market concept with freshly prepared items and new, healthier offerings. Updates to equipment to streamline production, new digital signage and new furniture also contributed to an enhanced guest experience.

Customer feedback and research helped inform the extensive changes that included:

• Service counters were modified to improve speed of service and food presentation
• Mobile point of sales stations were implemented to reduce congestion and increase speed of service
• Inviting branding and décor were introduced to make the environment more visually appealing
• Digital signage was introduced to better facilitate guest orders
• Menus were streamlined to focus on guests' favorite foods, healthy choices and local ingredients
• Storytelling about area suppliers became a featured element in digital signage
• New furniture improved the look and feel of the Café, increased the number of seats, and made the space more appealing for special event catering

Photo credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez