Food & Food Equipment News

Aramark Expands Reach in School Dining Facilities

 Aramark has added 60 new clients to its education business, one of the largest sectors in the company's $14 billion comprehensive services portfolio. Aramark provides food service, facilities management and uniforms wherever people learn, work, play and recover.

The company delivers dining and facility services to 1,100 K-12 and higher education institutions across the U.S. and Canada, creating vibrant living and learning environments for seven million students every school day.  Aramark has been serving the education sector for more than 60 years as a market leader with more than 60,000 employees supporting its school customers. The company employs 270,000+ people globally across its businesses in 22 countries.

Aramark's newest education partners include some of the country's premier colleges and universities, and major public school districts. Among new accounts are the University of Kentucky, St. Louis University, Bryant University, Georgia Gwinnett, Millsaps University and Morehouse College, as well as 40 school districts in Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan,New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.

In addition to new clients, during the summer vacation period the company renewed long-standing relationships with Baylor University, a 50+ year partner, and University of Virginia, a customer for over 20 years. Aramark also expanded its partnership with the Chicago Public Schools, the third-largest school system in the country, with 400,000 students.

"Education institutions must balance escalating fiscal pressure with sensitivity over increasing tuition rates and simultaneous reductions in state and federal funding," said Eric Foss, Aramark's President and CEO.  "By allowing us to effectively manage their non-academic functions like food and custodial services, our partners can focus their attention on fulfilling their core mission of educating and developing minds while deploying additional resources towards that vital goal."

Beyond providing food and facility services, Aramark helps higher education institutions attract students through innovative dining and retail environments. A Technomic industry report, tracking consumer trends in restaurant and dining, noted that students rank dining as the fourth factor they consider when selecting a college.

"Our higher education partners are leveraging this reality as an opportunity to attract and retain students in a highly competitive market," Foss added.

StyroSmart Solutions Achieving a Zero Waste Environment!

StyroSmart Solutions recently introduced the FoodGenie at the School Nutrition Association ANC in Boston, Massachusetts. StyroSmart Solutions offers visionary solutions to achieve a Zero Waste environment in any school, university or institution. The company embraces the concept that discarded materials can be redesigned to become resources for others to use. Its dual technologies, StyroGenie and FoodGenie together, create a Zero Waste environment:

StyroGenie:

Schools throughout the United States use roughly 5.76 billion foam food trays each school year.  StyroSmart®  has developed an innovative solution to help schools recycle foam with the StyroGenie SG-1200. StyroGenie is a low cost, thermal densification machine that reverses the foam manufacturing process by removing the air and returning it to a liquid resin.The resin is then cooled and formed into small briquettes that are easily recycled into other products. StyroSmart Solutions has formed direct recycle agreements to transform the briquettes into EPS picture frames that can be sold at school fund-raisers.  

FoodGenie:

In 2013 alone, more than 36 million tons of food waste was generated, with only five percent diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting.

FoodGenie FG-200 is a food waste dehydrating system providing on site reduction of food waste volume by 90 percent, creating compost that can be reused as nutrient rich mulch, making it 100 percent recyclable. The process provides rapid breakdown, reducing volume and weight of the food waste, which reduces operational costs.                         

Smart Environmentally

-       Reducing foam waste volume by 95 percent

-       Reduces food waste volume and weight by 90 percent

-       Keeps EPS and food waste out of landfills

-       Fewer carbon emissions from reduced waste hauling.

-       Recycles foam into usable products

-       Both are green technology environmentally friendly processes

Smart Economically

-       Transport savings: reduces waste collection costs by 80 percent

-       Labor savings: reduces staff time management and processing of food and foam tray waste.

-       Recycled products can be sold at fundraisers.

Zero Waste should be everyone’s goal –  StyroSmart Solutions embraces this goal and is committed to the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to save our planet.

For more information:

StyroSmart Solutions, Inc. 
800.351.8875
www.styrosmart.com

Easy Ideas to Help Schools Comply with New Lunchroom Regulations

 The final phase of nutrition regulations in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will go into place this July, requiring school districts to offer more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables both in school meals and outside the meal program. With more than 31 million students receiving school meals each day, ensuring access to healthy food choices at school can have a powerful impact on students' overall health. Recognizing this, in 2012 Chartwells School Dining Services partnered with the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B.E.N. Center) to study the impacts of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and how principles from the nationwide Smarter Lunchrooms initiative can help students embrace nutritious foods. 

"The results from our partnership with Cornell are very exciting for us at Chartwells and for the entire child nutrition industry," explained Rhonna Cass, President of Chartwells School Dining Services.  "We value our partnership with Cornell and look forward to our future work together."  Our key findings include:

• Serving in Multiple Locations: Offering fruits and vegetables in more than one area of the cafe resulted in higher fruit and vegetable selection and consumption. Hot vegetables were selected 27 percent more and cold vegetables were selected 48 percent more when offered in multiple locations. In addition, fruit offered in more than one location resulted in less fresh fruit waste.
• Naming Vegetables: Adding fun descriptors like "Lean Mean Green Beans" and "Bring It On Broccoli" increased overall vegetable consumption by 18 percent, driven by a 50 percent increase in consumption of salad and cold vegetables specifically.
• Nutrition Labels: Displaying simple nutrition information for vegetables, including calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrate content, resulted in a 30 percent decrease in overall vegetable waste, which translated to a 35 percent increase in vegetable consumption among students who selected vegetables.

"We are encouraged about these results because it helps us and hopefully other school foodservice providers and districts to find innovative ways to encourage healthy eating behaviors in our students," said Margie Saidel, MPH, RD, Vice President of Nutrition and Sustainability. "Schools are the change agents in guiding students to make smarter food choices and these behavioral economic techniques will make change easier."

The Smarter Lunchroom Movement uses evidence based, low cost, no cost techniques to help schools improve how and what their students are eating.  For more information, visit SmarterLunchrooms.org.

Is Your University Falling Behind Because of Its Food Program?

Social Architecture a Key Role in Recruitment &
Retention; Industry Leader Gives Tips

A record 33 percent of 25- to 29-year-olds hold bachelor’s degrees, up from 17 percent in 1971. Today’s high school graduates know that a college degree means earning power so, despite the rising expense of post-secondary school, the business of higher education is more competitive than ever, says industry-leading social architect and entrepreneur David Porter.

An often-overlooked component in the coveted “three Rs” – Recruitment, Retention and Alumni Relations – is the dining hall and student meal plans, he says.

“During the mid 1990s, campuses throughout the country were dealing with widespread disenchantment with their aging dining facilities and stale menus, so many paid food contractors to take over management. That was a big mistake,” says Porter, who designs dining programs and dining halls at colleges throughout North America. He shares tips for keeping students on campus, where they’re more likely to bond with each and their schools, in “The Porter Principles: Retain & Recruit Students & Alumni, Save Millions on Dining and Stop Letting Food Service Contractors Eat Your Lunch” (www.porterkhouwconsulting.com).   

“For most universities that contract out, the foodservice provider that controls tens of millions of dollars in purchases for the school is also its sole source of guidance on student dining. No matter how you slice it, there is a blatant conflict of interest here.”

Porter, who has worked with the University of Georgia, University of New Hampshire, Ferris State University, George Mason University and the University of Richmond, among others, identifies three areas schools should focus on in their meal program and facilities:

• Do they make students want to eat on campus? Social architecture is the conscious design of an environment to encourage social behaviors that lead toward a goal. In this case, the goal is solidifying students’ connections to one another and commitment to their school by drawing them together in a leisurely way at least once a day. Gathering together and socializing over meals on a regular basis helps students develop relationships that increase the odds they’ll stay in school, and that they’ll be active alumni after graduation. Students who live and dine on campus tend to have higher GPA’s and are more likely to graduate.

• What do prospective students see? When giving tours to prospective students and their families, is the dining hall a destination, and if so, is it one to be proud of? The kitchen is a non-negotiable element in creating a home. If a future student sees the dining hall as an uninviting ghost town with drab food, then he or she will feel less inclined to live on campus, and may even seek another school simply for its more accommodating campus.

• Are good meals available when students want them? Parents and students both know what time young people tend to get up in the morning and how late they go to bed. Many classes extend well into the evening and lots of students avoid early morning classes. Meals need to be available well beyond the outdated 9-to-5 time frame. Trying to accomplish that by including off-campus restaurant deals in the meal plan, or having too many locations available on campus, will be counter-productive. That decentralizes the dining experience.

About David Porter

David Porter, FCSI, is chief executive officer and president of Porter Khouw Consulting, Inc., a foodservice master planning and design firm based in Crofton, Maryland. David has more than 40 years of hands-on food service operations and consulting experience and is a professional member of the Foodservice Consultants Society International. Porter Khouw Consulting has worked with more than 350 clients to conduct market research and develop strategic plans, master plans and designs for the college and university market. Porter is a graduate of the prestigious hospitality program at Michigan State University and has been recognized repeatedly as a leader in his field.

Fresh Healthy Vending Café Serves Fresh-Brewed Organic Coffee, Healthy Snacks

We are a nation that loves its coffee. So much so, in fact, that according to the Harvard School of Public Health, 54 percent of American adults consume coffee on a daily basis, with three cups being the average per person. The country as a whole spends some $40 billion per year on coffee. Now, with the launch of Fresh Healthy Vending Café, java lovers can get a cup of gourmet organic coffee with the push of a button.

“The exclusive Fresh Healthy Vending Café machines are the first of what Fresh Healthy Vending expects to be a wave of new vending machines from the company over the coming years,” explained Dan Negroni, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Fresh Healthy Vending (www.freshvending.com). “We believe that Fresh Healthy Vending Café will almost certainly represent meaningful growth market for the company.”

The Fresh Healthy Vending Café machines feature a revolutionary design whereby consumers can, with the push of a button, get gourmet ground organic coffee. Prices ranging from just $1.25 to $2 per cup, with options including organic black coffee, organic black coffee with cream, organic vanilla cappuccino, espresso, and chai vanilla tea. Once the consumer makes their coffee selection, the machine grinds the whole coffee beans, extracts espresso, froths the milk, and disposes of the grounds, all within 40 seconds. The Fresh Healthy Vending Café machine is the only combo machine to offer gourmet ground coffee its flagship healthy snack and drink options including 100-percent fruit juices, smoothies, iced tea, and baked chips.

The special blend of organic coffee, as well as the actual machine itself is exclusive to Fresh Healthy Vending Café, will be a welcome option for those seeking the benefits that organics provide, including reducing their exposure to the potentially harmful pesticides that are typically used in conventional crop processes.

“Within less than a minute, our machine serves up a great cup of gourmet coffee that tastes equivalent to a cup from any upscale coffee bar which can be coupled with a healthy snack,” adds Negroni. “It’s like going to the gourmet coffee shop we all know and love. Now, that’s a winner, wouldn’t you agree?”

The company envisions the 3-foot-by-3-foot Fresh Healthy Vending Café going into schools, retailers, colleges, gas stations and office buildings, among other places. Since Fresh Healthy Vending already has machines placed in over 1,500 locations across America and Canada, the company is confident that many of these locations will be interested in the addition of the Fresh Healthy Vending Café machines.

Fresh Healthy Vending is known for revolutionizing the vending machine industry, by focusing on exclusive new high-tech machines that feature all healthy natural food options, including yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables, smoothies, and baked chips. Their machines are currently located in such places as school campuses, office buildings, workout facilities, hospitals, and military bases. To learn more Fresh Healthy Vending or Fresh Healthy Vending Café machines, visit their site at www.freshhealthyvending.com.

Nueva Cocina Taps Into Food Industry Veteran to Lead New Sales Team

George Curran has been named National Director of Sales for Nueva Cocina Foods, the nation’s first premium line of all-natural and authentic Latin rice, seasoning and soup mixes. A resident of Cave Creek, Ariz., George brings more than 20 years of experience in the food industry to the Miami-based company, most recently serving as the National Sales Manager for Annie Chun’s. Curran will work closely with three new regional sales managers to develop and expand Nueva Cocina in all retail business channels throughout the United States and Canada. 

“We are extremely pleased to have George and the new sales team joins Nueva Cocina to help us achieve our future goals,” said Celeste De Armas, Founder and CEO of Nueva Cocina. The combination of experience and success that George brings to Nueva Cocina will help us grow our distribution and allow us take the brand to the next level.”

Nueva Cocina is the new way to cook Latin. This all-natural product line contains the premium ingredients needed in just one box to create flavorful recipes derived from a multitude of Latin American and Caribbean countries. In addition to the Retail division, the company has a Foodservice division, which services restaurants, schools, universities, corporate cafeterias and caterers. With an assortment of 18 different soups, seasonings and rice mixes, the brand is a favorite of people who don’t eat gluten (16 of the 18 products are gluten-free and of vegetarians (14 of the 18 products are meatless). With Nueva Cocina, everyone can cook or simply enjoy Latin food. 

TrustHouse Services Group, Lindley Food Service Come Together

TrustHouse Services Group, a leading healthcare, education and corrections foodservice company, announced today a merger with Lindley Food Service. TrustHouse is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a San Francisco-based middle-market private equity firm. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Lindley Food Service, headquartered in New Haven, Conn., operates in both Connecticut and Massachusetts and generates over $20 million of annual revenue. All of Lindley's revenues are generated in the education and healthcare sectors.

The combined company continues to rank among the top 10 foodservice providers in the United States, and is one of the leading foodservice providers focused primarily on the healthcare, education and corrections sectors.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TrustHouse, Michael J. Bailey, said, “We are delighted with the transaction, which consolidates our position still further in the education and healthcare markets. This will expand TrustHouse operations to cover 34 states.”

Going forward, Lindley will operate as a stand-alone business within TrustHouse and will continue to be managed by Gil Rossomando and Mark Cerreta, the original founders of Lindley. The President of Lindley, Rossomando, said, “We are extremely pleased to be able to consummate this transaction, which will ensure our continued growth into the future. Lindley will continue as an autonomous operation within TrustHouse Services Group and our focus will be very much business as usual. TrustHouse provides broader access to capital and additional resources to help us drive Lindley forward. Our combined strength will create greater opportunity for our clients, employees and all our stakeholders.”

Lindley management will continue to own a meaningful equity stake in the combined company.

Gryphon Partner Keith Stimson commented, “This is a further step, in addition to our recent transaction with A’viands Food and Management Services, in building the TrustHouse business as a clear independent leader in the education and healthcare contract foodservice market. We are very pleased that Gil and Mark are joining the TrustHouse team and remain as shareholders in the business.”

Parker Poe and Adams & Bernstein, also based in Charlotte, acted as lead counsel for TrustHouse.

Michigan Bowling Alley Online Auction Includes Restaurant Equipment, Bar

Per order of the secured creditor, all remaining assets from the North Shore Recreation, 18000 Cove St., Spring Lake, Mich., will be liquidating by utilizing Orbitbid.com.

The featured online auction will be held April 24 at 8 a.m. and will start closing at 6 p.m.

Auction highlights include: (24) Brunswick A-2 pinsetting machines, (12) pair of bowling lanes with ball returns, Brunswick Frameworx automatic scoring system, full tool/repair room, many house balls, rental bowling shoes, lockers, ice maker, deep fryers, stoves, coolers, full-service bar, booths, tables, chairs, office equipment and much more.

Preview day will be on April 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as sale day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Staff will be on-site with free wireless internet access to assist in bidding if needed.

Featured items include:

(1) Fiesta 17' long x 36" height x 52" depth 2 sided stainless steel cafeteria line station with overhead stainless steel shelves, Bastian-Blessing model 0036, 115 volt refrigerated prep station with 4 refrigerated drawers and salad top prep area, (1) 4 section Vapormatic food warmer station, (1) 2 section food warmer station with 10" diameter x approx. 6" depth basins, (1) 4' and (1) 5' Glo-Ray hanging food warmer and misc. contents including various plates, bowls, cups, (1) Sysco 32 oz. capacity portion control scale, (1) 23 1/2" x 18 1/4" cutting board, (1) 15 button chime unit, (1) Black & Decker VersaToast toaster with 4 wide slots, (1) Panasonic model JS-660RM, 115 volt remote printer and misc. other items. (kitchen).

Lot of (60) Falcon Products Inc. wood framed arm chairs with vinyl padded seats and backs (vinyl is in varying conditions). (ballroom).

LOT 1-336517(1) 58" width x 34" height framed "Budweiser" bar mirror. (lounge).

 

Leucadia National Completes Acquisition of Control of National Beef

Leucadia National Corp. has completed the acquisition of a controlling interest in National Beef Packing Co. LLC, one of the largest beef processing companies in the Unites States. National Beef processes, packages and delivers fresh and frozen beef and beef by-products for sale to customers in the U.S. and international markets.

The transaction was previously announced on Dec. 5. As a result of the transaction, Leucadia owns a 78.95 percent interest in National Beef and the other members of National Beef—U.S. Premium Beef LLC, NBPCo Holdings LLC and Timothy Klein, National Beef’s Chief Executive Officer—will hold a minority interest in National Beef.

Leucadia anticipates that National Beef will continue to operate in the same manner and with the same management as was in place prior to the consummation of the transaction.

High School and Middle School Students Seeking Healthier Food Choices

ARAMARK Research Finds 60 Percent of Students Want Healthy Options; New Menu Icons will Help Students Identify Good Food Choices

As families across the country prepare to send their children back to school, a recent survey of more than 50,000 middle and high school students throughout the United States by ARAMARK, a leading provider of school food and nutrition services, found that nearly 60 percent of students (ages 12-18) are interested in making healthier food choices.

As a result of the survey and as a way to assist students in making more informed menu selections, ARAMARK will be launching Healthy for Life Menu Icons™ in high schools across the country to help students make healthy meal decisions quickly and more easily. Over 170 high schools have signed on to participate in the new menu system that will be introduced as part of their school’s dining experience in the fall.

“We are very encouraged that so many students are interested in making healthier food choices,” said Linda Sceurman, R.D. and Director of Nutrition and Menu Development for ARAMARK Education. “The new menu icons are an excellent way to draw students’ attention to the healthiest menu options.”

The Healthy for Life Menu Icons™ are a part of ARAMARK’s Healthy for Life™ initiative, a comprehensive wellness and nutrition education program that encourages students, staff, and their families to make healthier food choices and adopt more active lifestyles. The Healthy for Life Menu Icons™ will be displayed prominently alongside appropriate items being served, as well as on the school’s printed or online menu to alert students to the availability of healthy meal options.

The colorful, leaf-shaped icons specify which foods are: vegetarian options (Vegetarian); grown locally (Locally Grown); nutrient dense but lower in calories (Calorie Counter); low in calories, fat and sodium (Eat Well Selection); and made with hearty whole grains (Made with Hearty Whole Grains).

In addition to the new menu icon system, students will be able to choose from a variety of healthy favorites during their school breakfast and lunch this school year, including:

• Whole grain pizza with low-fat cheese
• Grilled chicken wraps
• Yogurt and fruit parfaits
• Salad bars and salad shakers
• Whole grain pasta
• Whole grain pancakes
• Whole grain muffins

ARAMARK surveys students each year as part of its StudentViewPOINT™, a proprietary research program which collects valuable data from students about their dining habits and attitudes. The Company is a proud supporter of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative and the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge.

About ARAMARK Education

ARAMARK Education provides a complete range of food, facility, uniform and other support services to more than 500 K-12 school districts in the U.S. It offers public and private education institutions a family of dining and facility services including: on-site and off-site breakfast and lunch meal programs, after-school snacks, catering, nutrition education, retail design and operations, maintenance, custodial, grounds, energy management, construction management, and building commissioning. For more information on ARAMARK’s K-12 food service programs, please visit www.aramarkschools.com.

About ARAMARK

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as the industry leader in FORTUNE magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies," and as one of America's Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 255,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com, or www.twitter.com/aramarknews.