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Top 10 business and industry food service stories of 2021

The year’s top B&I stories include service innovations operators are undertaking to meet the emerging workplace environment

Mike Buzalka, Executive Features Editor

November 24, 2021

10 Slides
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The past year gave clear indications that the typical corporate office is evolving away from the 5-day/8-hour schedule that had pretty much been the norm for decades into a much more flexible one in the wake of the COVID pandemic’s consequences. For corporate dining operators, this means more of a long-term change in how they do business than for any other onside segment because it requires them to shift energies away from mass feeding venues like the traditional “company cafeteria” to a more scattered model that reaches a smaller onsite population over more hours and at more service points.

The year saw the industry grappling with this emerging trend, testing various innovations designed to reach customers in this new environment in ways that maintain product quality and choice with acceptable financials.

Here are 10 stories from 2021 dealing with corporate dining trends and solutions.

About the Author

Mike Buzalka

Executive Features Editor, Food Management

Mike Buzalka is executive features editor for Food Management and contributing editor to Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News. On Food Management, Mike has lead responsibility for compiling the annual Top 50 Contract Management Companies as well as the K-12, College, Hospital and Senior Dining Power Players listings. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from John Carroll University. Before joining Food Management in 1998, he served as for eight years as assistant editor and then editor of Foodservice Distributor magazine. Mike’s personal interests range from local sports such as the Cleveland Indians and Browns to classic and modern literature, history and politics.

Mike Buzalka’s areas of expertise include operations, innovation and technology topics in onsite foodservice industry markets like K-12 Schools, Higher Education, Healthcare and Business & Industry.

Mike Buzalka’s experience:

Executive Features Editor, Food Management magazine (2010-present)

Contributing Editor, Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News (2016-present)

Associate Editor, Food Management magazine (1998-2010)

Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1997-1998)

Assistant Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1989-1997)

 

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