5 things: Elior reports 18.3% revenue increase in fiscal 2021-22

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:

Elior Group, the Paris-based parent of FM Top 50 contract firm Elior North America, reported an organic revenue increase of 18.3% for its unaudited full-year fiscal 2021-22 results, ended Sept. 30, including fourth quarter revenues that amounted to 95% of its 2018-19 pre-COVID level. While the company doesn't specifically break out North American results, revenues from its international operations (i.e., all operations outside of France), which constituted about 56% of the company total, grew 26.2% (22% organic), with the release noting that "all countries outside of France recorded double-digit organic growth."

Read more: Elior Group: Full-year 2021-2022 Financial Results

Between 2021 and 2022, the percentage of middle and high school students who said they would “very likely” and “somewhat likely” eat school meals increased from 61% to 86%, according to survey results released by nonprofit No Kid Hungry. The two top motivating factors drawing students to eat a school meal are knowing the food served is something they enjoy and whether meals came at no cost to them, the survey of 1,000 secondary students, conducted in May, found.

Related:5 things: College’s food donation program derailed since March 2020

Read more: Survey: Secondary students warming up to school meals

Nutrition services director and registered dietitian Michelle Lindsay of Tomah Health in Wisconsin developed a four-page illustrated picture menu to help the hundreds of Afghan guests who received care at the facility earlier this year as part of Task Force McCoy, which oversaw temporary housing and support services for approximately 12,600 relocated Afghans at the nearby Fort McCoy military reservation. Lindsay, with help from the hospital’s marketing department, came up with the illustrated menu to assist Afghans who ordered hospital cafeteria food during their hospital stay. “The room service menu helped to eliminate the potential for culturally inappropriate meals beings served to this special population, to help nursing staff assist patients with meals in a culturally sensitive way and to increase oral intake to reduce hospital acquired malnutrition,” said Lindsay.

Read more: Tomah Health developed picture menu for Afghan guests

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When fourth-year UC Davis political science major Sameer Syed canceled his meal plan halfway through the quarter earlier this year, the $200 of Aggie Cash he hadn’t spent was voided, something he claimed was a contract violation as it was not included in the contract language at the time. So Syed took UC Davis Housing & Dining Services to small claims court, where he won four provisions, including being refunded his $200 and requiring an amendment be added to the meal plan contract that spells out the policy in the future. The current 2022-2023 residential housing contract, provided on the Housing and Dining Services website, now includes a revised statement about Aggie Cash in the meal plan section.

Read more: UC Davis student seeks legal action against Housing and Dining Services

Celebrity chef and television host Carla Hall recently partnered with vendor Jennie-O to take over the lunch menu at Panorama High School in Los Angeles to prepare a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, yams, green beans and salad to show appreciation for the cafeteria staff, with students pitching in by welcoming the cafeteria staff with a pep rally and performance. "They're the ones who are feeding these kids day in and day out with breakfast, lunch, snack, supper, all of those meals and we want them to know they are valued," said Hall, who also taught a baking class and shared her special biscuit recipe while at the school.

Read more: Celebrity chef Carla Hall honored cafeteria workers with Thanksgiving meals at Panorama High School

Bonus: Top 10 college and university food service stories of 2022

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]