5 coronavirus things: Aramark U.S. food/support service unit revenue drops 45% in Q1 of FY2021

In this special edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments regarding coronavirus and its impact on onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

Aramark’s United States Food & Support Services (FSS) unit saw a revenue decline of 45% in the first quarter of the company’s 2021 fiscal year, from $2.639 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 to $1.446 million in fiscal 2021. The quarter covers the last three months of 2020. Overall, consolidated revenue for the company was $2.7 billion in the quarter, down 35% compared to prior year, while organic revenue, which adjusts for the effect of currency, declined 36% year-over-year.

Read more: Aramark Reports First Quarter Earnings

Public school districts in Franklin County in Missouri are seeing a reduction in free and reduced meal applications this year, reflecting a national trend that threatens school finances as some funding schools receive from the state is determined by the number of students signed up for free and reduced lunches. The reason for the shortfall is that families now get free meals regardless of whether they sign up for them due to the USDA’s Free Meals for Kids program that offers free breakfasts and lunches to all children in school to support families during the coronavirus pandemic.

Related:How onsite dining workforces will have to adapt to a post-coronavirus world

Read more: Schools Report Decline Of Meal Program Applications

Harvard and Princeton Universities have begun recalling some furloughed dining workers. At Princeton, where least 50 employees were placed on indefinite furlough last March by contract firm Restaurant Associates, 20 have returned to work, while 20 Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) workers who were laid off after the department closed facilities last month received the option to shift into new roles beginning Jan. 27 based on seniority in an internal reshuffling process known as “bumping” through which they can choose to either take an open position or “bump” a less senior HUDS employee out of their position and take their job,

Read more: Following 10-month furlough, Restaurant Associates contract workers receive employment offer through spring and HUDS Workers, Laid Off Last Month, Offered New Roles

Following periods of record-low COVID-19 positivity rates, Bradley University in Illinois is loosening restrictions on the campus community, including allowing dining at off-campus restaurants, something that had been prohibited since mid-September last year. In addition, on-campus dining is resuming, with both grab and go and dine-in available with up to two people allowed to sit together while dining in on-campus.

Related:5 coronavirus things: Catering firms and robots fill the need in a remote work and learning world

Read more: Quarantine restrictions lifted: Off-campus dining now allowed

Fresh food firm Chowbotics has been acquired by third-party delivery firm DoorDash, something that promises to increase the market reach and capabilities of the vendor of automated fresh food service units such as Sally the Robot that are already located in hundreds of onsite locations such as hospitals and colleges. The deal “unlocks new possibilities for Chowbotics and the technology that this team has built over the past seven years,” notes Chowbotics CEO Rick Wilmer.

Read more: DoorDash acquires Chowbotics robotics company

Bonus: University of Denver unveils new Community Commons dining hall and retail locations

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]