5 things: Wall Street pushes for return to offices

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

Wall Street is pushing to get employees back into the office, driven by a combination of a need for in-person bonding and training and cybersecurity and risk management concerns. The danger, some observers note, is that too aggressive a push to force workers back whether they are willing or not could force talent to migrate to other industries like high tech that are being generally more flexible about workplace requirements.

Read more: Why Wall Street is in such a rush to get workers back to the office

Amazon is set to open its first full-size Amazon Fresh supermarket using the “Just Walk Out” cashierless technology it pioneered in its smaller Amazon Go convenience stores. The move signals a significant advancement in the use of such automation in a retail setting.

Read more: Amazon brings ‘Just Walk Out’ technology to Amazon Fresh

Major League Baseball concessionaires have seen some huge increases in food and drink per caps over the first two months of current MLB season, while mobile ordering has been hit and miss depending on the market and labor shortages remain a troubling issue, according to a recent virtual panel discussion of representatives from concessionaires Aramark, Delaware North Sportservice, Legends Hospitality and Levy organized by the Stadium Managers Association.

Related:Third shift cart adds retail sales for hospital

Read more: MLB Concessionaires see huge increases in Per Caps

Caterplus, a unit of Elior UK, has rolled out Grazing Boxes that enable dementia residents to eat what they like, when they like, 24 hours a day. Created by the British firm's development chefs and dietitian in collaboration with care homes, the Boxes consist of a four-week grazing menu of highly nutritious savoury and sweet handheld snacks that can be used either in place of, or in addition to traditional plated meals, and can be presented either as a sharing platter/buffet-style box or separately for individuals who may require specific modifications.

Read more: Innovative Grazing Boxes provide nutritious offer for dementia residents in care homes

Luby’s Inc., the bankrupt parent firm of FM Top 50 company Luby's Culinary Services, has agreed to sell its Luby’s Cafeteria business, consisting of 32 locations in Texas, to an affiliate of entrepreneur Calvin Gin, a former executive with airline caterer Flying Food Group, which his family founded. The deal does not include Culinary Contract Service business, which has yet to be sold as Luby's liquidates its assets.

Related:5 things: New Bon Appetit climate policy aims to reduce beef and cheese use

Read more: Luby's agrees to sell cafeterias to Calvin Gin affiliate

Bonus: FM On Demand: Key strategies for K-12’s return to lunchrooms

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]