Articles Tagged with ''foodservice distribution''

Driscoll Foods, one of the largest independent foodservice distributors in the tri-state area for nearly fifty years, has completed construction of a 3.5-megawatt DC rooftop solar photovoltaic system at its headquarters located in Wayne, New Jersey.

On our latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I sit down with Neil Russell, VP of corporate affairs at Sysco, for details about the company’s constantly evolving strategies during the pandemic. 

Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa details how 2019's idea of cold chain disruption pales in comparison to COVID-19's seismic impact on the industry in 2020.  

A multi-segment view of how those working along the cold chain have been affected by COVID-19 so far in 2020. 

Sysco has donated 30 million meals across eight countries since mid-March as part of its community response strategy to the COVID-19 pandemic. These donations were valued at over $100 million and included nearly 16 million pounds of fresh produce and approximately six million pounds of fresh dairy products.

US Foods is donating approximately $250,000 of food to help the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, bring pop-up food pantries to communities of color on Chicago’s South and West Sides, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, longtime food insecurity and the recent civil unrest.

Sysco has launched its Restaurant Readiness Tool, a first-of-its kind simulation that intuitively provides a comprehensive view of best practices, key considerations and essential supplies for operators reopening their restaurants as COVID-19 stay-at-home orders continue to ease.

US Foods is giving away free reopening kits to qualifying independent restaurant owners to help support restaurant reopening efforts in communities across the U.S. The reopening kits provide independent restaurant operators with must-have supplies such as masks and safety guidance posters as well as resource guides to navigate state and local COVID-19 reopening requirements and help create a safer environment for staff and customers alike.

The closures of restaurants, hotels, and schools have left growers with heaps of fresh produce without a destination. With crops often grown exclusively for the foodservice industry, growers who produce crops with a large percentage of production destined for this vital market segment are faced with incredible challenges amidst COVID-19 closures. 

“The average restaurateur makes about 4 cents for every dollar, and now with decreased traffic and increased costs, it’s even more challenging for them,” says Jim Osborne of US Foods--one of the giants of foodservice distribution to restaurants, hotels, catering, schools and more. On the latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I talk with Osborne about US Foods’ latest initiative—the Restaurant Reopening Blueprint—to help restaurateurs navigate new guidelines for service, staffing, and customer behavior due to coronavirus.