Foodservice Director News: Page 4
Older foodservice director news, page 4 of 5. Back to the latest news.
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Participation: Medicaid direct certification lifted school meal counts in Maryland
A Johns Hopkins study of 1,252 Maryland public schools, published in JAMA Network Open, found that after the state began direct certification with Medicaid in 2022-23, the share of students identified as eligible for free meals rose from 26% to 37%. That was linked to a 27% increase in schools eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision, and schools that became newly eligible for CEP saw a 22% increase in meal participation. The authors note federal Medicaid and SNAP changes could reduce identified students.
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Paying for scratch cooking: a Nebraska school uses rural health funds for kitchen upgrades
Hay Springs Public Schools in Nebraska received notice of a $96,266.27 award through the state's Rural Health Transformation Program School Kitchen Modernization Grant. The district says the new equipment will help it serve more fresh, scratch- and semi-scratch-prepared meals, use more locally raised Nebraska beef, pork and other proteins, and rely less on heat-and-serve products.
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Alcohol service at stadiums: ID-checking vending machines spread to major venues
Nova Scotia-based Dispension Industries says two of its ID-verifying alcohol vending machines at Dodger Stadium generated more than $200,000 in sales over the past year, and it recently launched at Empower Field at Mile High. The machines scan IDs with ultraviolet and infrared checks and match the customer's face to the ID photo before dispensing; the company says it is negotiating with NBA, NHL and college venues.
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Concession lines: South Carolina's stadium adds 39 AI self-checkouts
Aramark Sports + Entertainment deployed 39 VisioLab camera-based self-checkout units across six concession markets at the University of South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium. The units identify items placed in the checkout area so guests can pay without scanning barcodes; VisioLab reports record throughput and revenue over the first three games but has not released figures.
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FSM Summit: operators say retention and reliability beat sticker price
At the FSM Summit (Oct. 4-6, Arizona), a panel of senior living, education and hospitality operators described investments that paid off in savings, production capacity and staff retention, and others that cost more than promised. One operator credited AI-driven inventory and procurement software with substantial food and labor savings, but only after several vendors overpromised.
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Inside a contract switch: the University of Kentucky's $95M dining build with its new provider
The University of Kentucky ended its 12-year dining contract early and moved to a new provider, which put $55.5 million toward the buyout and may invest up to $95 million in new dining facilities. UK will repay the capital over the life of a roughly 30-year contract.
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Launch idea: use delivery robots for more than food
Ohio State Dining is working with its student health center to have Grubhub rovers deliver health products during cold and flu season. The idea came from pharmacy students in an entrepreneurship program.
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Massachusetts puts local cranberries on school trays; Virginia sets a local-buying record
Massachusetts schools can now order craisins made with local cranberries through the state's USDA Foods program, with delivery fees waived this year. Virginia school nutrition programs bought more than $24.2 million in local food in SY 2025-26, beating a goal set for 2026-27.
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One week, one 'usual': a QSR LTO built entirely from existing menu items
Through October, Taco Bell is featuring three celebrities' go-to orders, each available for one week at $4, with $1 offers on Tuesdays in its app, per Nation's Restaurant News. Each bundle uses existing items, such as a Beef Burrito Supreme, Crunchy Taco and medium fountain drink.
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Playbook: student chef competitions that feature local foods
Ohio is bringing back its Ohio Grown Student Chef Showcase, in which teams of three to five middle and high school students create a school lunch recipe with at least one local ingredient. Massachusetts and Virginia are also promoting local food during National Farm to School Month.
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Senior living operators lean on group purchasing to offset rising costs
Senior Housing News reports that operators are responding to higher fuel and supply costs with group purchasing, vendor renegotiation and tighter expense management.
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Where campus dining tech stands: mobile ordering at 84%, AI personalization at 9%
A Princeton Review and Sodexo survey of 82 colleges, run May through August, found digital menu boards and campus-ID integration at 94% of respondents, contactless payment at 87% and mobile ordering at 84%. Fewer offer on-campus delivery (22%), robot delivery (10%) or AI-powered menu personalization (9%). Gaps remain in low-sodium (52%), kosher (29%) and Jain (10%) options, while 89% track food waste.
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Wisconsin district pulls Red 40, Yellow 5 and other additives from school lunches
The School District of Jefferson removed artificial dyes and additives such as Red 40, Yellow 5 and brominated vegetable oil from lunches for 2026-27 and brought back whole milk options. It served about 733 lunches and 318 breakfasts a day in September, and plans to cap added sugars and cut sodium further in 2027-28.
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Launch idea: a circus-themed National School Lunch Week
Provo City School District themed every lunch Oct. 12-16, from Tightrope Tacos to a scratch-made Magic Muffin Meal, and added photo booths and activities. Students who bring lunch from home were invited to take part.
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SHFM 2026: how corporate dining leaders actually use AI
At SHFM's National Conference in Chicago (Oct. 6-8), presenters built a pop-up concept with AI in about 20 minutes and shared how they prompt AI tools. One speaker's four-question test for picking a tool: what it must do, whether it can adapt, whether it protects your data, and whether you can check its output.
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A daily scratch-made chef's special: Baptist Health brings 'Food is Medicine' to its patient menu
Baptist Health in Louisville is bringing a 'Food is Medicine' approach to its patient menu, with more locally sourced and made-from-scratch meals. Each day patients can choose a different chef's special created by dietitians and chefs, and the team has increased homemade soups, homemade sauces, fruits and vegetables. New dishes include honey-citrus glazed salmon and a patient-friendly take on the hot brown, marking the dish's 100th anniversary.
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Halal as standard, not special request: build-your-own bowls sell to everyone at Penn State Brandywine
Penn State Brandywine's Blue Apple Café now serves halal build-your-own bowls ordered at kiosks, and sales have been strong. Students pick rice or greens, chicken, beef or falafel, a dozen toppings and multiple sauces, all meeting halal requirements. Director of housing and food services Elizabeth Kearns said the aim was to make former exceptions into standards; the bowls are also popular with athletes and other students for their high protein. Brandywine is the fourth Penn State campus to offer halal dishes.
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Buldak, falooda and banana reinvented: the 2027 flavor trends dining teams can borrow
Datassential's 2027 Trends Report names Mexico City (CDMX) as the cuisine to watch and buldak, doubanjiang, falooda and kinilaw among emerging flavors. New Classics now include whipped feta, chili crisp, sticky toffee pudding, hibiscus and dirty soda, while banana, anchovy, mango, deli salads and the old fashioned are getting new life in fresh applications. The firm says 75% of consumers are looking forward to new food and beverage trends.
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Healthcare Services Group acquires NEXDINE Hospitality
Healthcare Services Group announced it has acquired NEXDINE Hospitality, adding dining and hospitality capabilities across healthcare, senior living and other markets. The deal adds to consolidation among contract providers.
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Sodexo Campus and Avride set up a fast track for delivery robots
Avride and Sodexo Campus signed an agreement meant to move partner colleges from interest to robot delivery in weeks rather than months. Sodexo Campus serves about 425 U.S. institutions, and Avride already runs at Ohio State, Indiana, Arizona and Salisbury.
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Toast launches AI agents for labor scheduling and menu pricing
Toast's new AI team includes a Scheduling Agent that builds schedules from availability, forecast sales and overtime risk. Toast says beta users averaged 41% fewer overtime hours per employee; pricing starts at $60 a month plus $9 per employee per month.
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Elior North America splits Cura Hospitality into healthcare and senior living brands
Elior North America rebranded its healthcare division, splitting Cura Hospitality into two segments: Elior Healthcare and Elior Living.
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Morrison Healthcare launches an after-hours patient meal program
Morrison Healthcare's After-Hours Program gives patients chef-designed meals, such as a Thai chili chicken and rice bowl, outside traditional meal service times.
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A purchasing co-op puts 20 AI 'digital direct reports' to work
A restaurant purchasing co-op built 20 AI agents that continuously monitor pricing, commodities, food safety incidents, distributor fill rates and freight. One flags any price change above 5%, and its findings are checked against the co-op's existing data platforms.
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