5 things: Aramark US Food & Support Service unit sees 20% Q1 revenue increase

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:

Aramark has reported a 20% (18% organic) increase in the first quarter revenues of its U.S. Food & Support Services (USFSS) unit for fiscal 2023 over the same period in fiscal 2022, with the total rising from $2.425 billion to $2.921 billion. Consolidated revenue for the company as a whole in the quarter was $4.6 billion, according to Aramark's earning release announcement.

Read more: Aramark Reports First Quarter Earnings

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is urging USDA to maintain current school nutrition standards rather than implement newly proposed rules that it says are unachievable for most schools nationwide. SNA cites its recently released trends report that found school nutrition programs struggling with ongoing supply chain and labor challenges. A majority of survey respondents also indicated concerns about proposals to establish long-term standards that exceed Target 1A transitional sodium limits and limit added sugar, both of which are included in the proposed new USDA rules. Federal waivers that protect schools from financial penalty if they cannot meet nutrition standards due to supply chain issues are set to expire June 30, 2023.

Related:5 things: Pomona College dining staff win “historic” wage increase

Read more: SNA Urges USDA to Maintain Current School Meal Rules

Capital Grains, a new restaurant completely developed and operated by students, is opening its doors in the Tepper School of Business on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University with the assistance of Carnegie Mellon dining services provider Chartwells. Capital Grains will operate out of Rohr Commons between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, preparing food in the same kitchen Carnegie Mellon Dining uses during the week, with the student chefs and service workers having total access to equipment and infrastructure to cook as needed. “This is the first time any higher education dining service is building out a fully run and fully operated student restaurant,” says David You, a senior studying Business Administration and Computer Science who is leading the project.

Read more: Student Designed, Student Driven: Capital Grains Student Restaurant to Open in Tepper

Related:5 tech things: Solar powered drive-thru will save KFC unit thousands in energy costs

According to a national Cleveland Clinic survey, the most common barrier to a healthier diet is that almost half of Americans (46%) view healthy food as being more expensive, while also citing a lack of time to prepare healthy meals (23%) and unfamiliarity with healthy ways of cooking (20%). Access to healthy food also can be an issue especially for minority communities. About one-fifth of Black Americans (20%) say it is hard for them to access stores that sell healthy food compared to 15% of White Americans.

Read more: Americans Cite Cost of Heathy Food as Biggest Barrier to a Heart-Healthy Diet, According to Cleveland Clinic Survey

Employers in Japan seem to be coming to the same conclusions about workplace amenities like foodservice in the post-pandemic environment as their American counterparts. As Japan shakes off its pandemic caution and shifts toward “living with COVID,” more companies are returning to the office, and as they do so they are re-imagining the cafeteria as a space where employees can work, eat healthier food and deepen in-house communication, with the cafeteria all the while showcasing the company’s sustainability and climate credentials. And in the meantime, tech is expanding the conventional concept of staff foodservice to effectively turn local restaurants into corporate cafeterias for remote workers or companies that don’t own dining facilities.

Read more: Japan’s staff cafeterias becoming more than just places to eat amid office return

Bonus: The 2023 K-12 Power Players

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]