5 coronavirus things: Compass reports 18.8% revenue decline for FY2020

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:

Compass Group reported an 18.8% revenue decline for its 2020 fiscal year, from £24.8 billion to £20.2 billion, mostly as a result of the impact of coronavirus on its worldwide operations. The North American unit, the company's largest with 63.1% of all Group revenue, saw an identical 18.8% decline, from £15.694 billion to £12.746 billion.

Read more: Compass Group Fiscal Year 2020 Profit Falls on Lower Revenue

Campus Dining at Appalachian State University (ASU) will offer free, chef-inspired meals to all faculty, staff and students in need over the school’s winter break between Dec. 11 and Jan. 14, 2021. The food, provided through the Meals for Mountaineers program, is made possible through support from the university and the community.

Read more: Free meals for App State faculty, students and staff in need over extended winter break

Instead of the traditional December feast to celebrate the holiday season, cafeteria staff at Burke County Public Schools in North Carolina have been provided with turkeys to take home by the district and its dining services management company Chartwells K12. During the building closures and transition to remote learning beginning this past spring, child nutrition staff at Burke served more than 750,000 meals to students.

Related:Marketing firms af&co and Carbonate predict Quesabirria, hot cocktails and more trends for 2021

Read more: Cafeteria associates gifted turkeys in lieu of holiday meal

Working out of North Dining Hall and the Center for Culinary Excellence on campus, University of Notre Dame dining staff members will prepare Thanksgiving meals for the Center for the Homeless and St. Margaret’s House Day Center for Women and Children in South Bend. The meals will include traditional favorites such as roasted turkey, baked ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans and pumpkin pie.

Meanwhile, Campus Dining staff working at Noble Family Dining Hall at nearby Saint Mary’s College will prepare two side dishes for Hope Ministries in South Bend, enough to feed 900 people.

Read more: Campus Dining prepares holiday meals for local centers

Related:Flavor of the Month: Gouda — the Dutch cheese

With the school kitchen shut down following one cafeteria staff member testing positive for COVID-19, students at Turpin High School in Ohio got pizza delivered from local restaurants. The positive COVID test meant that the other five dining staff members had to also quarantine, resulting in the pizza purchase.

Read more: Pizza delivered to Turpin High School after cafeteria worker tests positive

Bonus: Maine schools serve restaurant-quality seafood for lunch

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]