5 things: Elior to shutter Preferred Meals prepared meals unit

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, parent of FM Top 50 firm Elior North America, reported an 18% organic revenue increase in the first half of its 2021-22 fiscal year, ended March 31, 2022, including international organic revenue growth of 24.1% that includes U.S. operations.

In its fiscal results release, the company also announced that it will close the Preferred Meals fresh and frozen prepared snacks and meals production and distribution unit it acquired in 2016, saying that "its industrial activity is too far removed from our core business and weighs heavily on the Group’s finances." Preferred Meals generated $211 million in revenues in fiscal 2020-21 and $139 million in the first half of fiscal 2021-22, but with EBITA losses of $52 million and $24 million, respectively, in those two periods.

Read more: Elior Group: First Half Results 2021-2022

Wake County Schools in North Carolina, one of the largest public school districts in the country, is raising school meal prices 25 cents per meal across the board next year due to rising costs of food, contracts and a planned pay raise for child nutrition service workers, combined with the expected expiration of universal free meals Congress implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that is set to expire June 30. The increase would generate $1 million in revenue, based on the number of meals sold each year to families who pay for them and factoring in an expected drop in school meal participation that would come with a price increase. The district is expecting a $500,000 shortfall in the child nutrition services department without raising prices next year.

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Read more: Wake votes to raise school meal prices, as free meals will end

Chartwells Higher Education has partnered with HowGood, an independent research company that says it has the world's largest database on ingredient and product sustainability on a climate labeling program that will inform students on the college campuses where Chartwells operates on the environmental and social impact of what they eat at dining halls. HowGood has researched the ecological and social impact of over 33,000 ingredients in the food system and will use the data to identify which recipes from Chartwells have the best relative impact compared to conventional food to help Chartwells partner campuses achieve their net-zero goals by integrating HowGood's impact data into its dining menus nationwide.

Related:5 things: Only 8% of NYC workers back in offices full-time, survey finds

Read more: Chartwells Higher Education Introduces Climate Labeling to Dining Halls with Exclusive Partnership that Empowers Students to Make More Sustainable Food Choices

Apple has suspended plans to bring workers back to its Cupertino headquarters in California three days a week due to COVID-19 cases surging again in the state. Instead, the tech giant will temporarily stick with employees coming into the office twice a week, although it's unknown if that request will be enforced in the interim.

Read more: Apple Suspends Thrice-Weekly In-Office Requirement for Workers Amid COVID Surge

Delaware North has named Dana Pellicano president of its Patina Restaurant Group. She comes to the company with 20 years’ experience in the industry, including the past 15 with Marriott International where she most recently served as vice president of global food and beverage operations, overseeing operations for more than 12,000 outlets. Patina has global operations with restaurants and catering services in locations such as Buffalo, New York City, Los Angeles and Boston, as well as restaurants at Walt Disney World in Florida and at Downtown Disney in California.

Read more: Delaware North names new leader for Patina Restaurant Group

Bonus: No worries when you try these 7 curries

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]