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The foodservice (or food service) industry (US English; catering industry in British English) encompasses those places, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal prepared outside the home. This industry includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.

Contents 1 Types of companies 2 Providers 3 Employment statistics 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Types of companies

The companies that supply foodservice operators are called foodservice distributors. Foodservice distributors sell goods like small wares (kitchen utensils) and bulk foods. Some companies manufacture products in both consumer and foodservice versions. The consumer version usually comes in individual-sized packages with elaborate label design for retail sale. The foodservice version is packaged in a much larger industrial size and often lacks the colorful label designs of the consumer version.

[edit] Providers

Foodservice sales to restaurants and institutions are estimated to be approximately $400 Billion, about equal with consumer sales of foods through grocery outlets. Major foodservice providers include Aramark, Brinker International, Compass Group, the Crown Group, Darden Restaurants, Sysco, McLane Company, US Foodservice and 3663 First for Foodservice.

[edit] Employment statistics

The foodservice industry is one of the largest employers in the United States. Over 805,360 people are currently working as servers and managers alone. 59% of these workers are under the age of 30, and over 66% hold only a high school diploma or less. ^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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