Business & Industry (B&I) foodservice operations manage the needs of their clients (corporations and employees) through leveraging their contract suppliers. As Damian Monticello of GuideWell/Florida Blue said, “Our role is much like that of a food and beverage director at a hotel.”
The complicated structure of the B&I ecosystem and how foodservice manufacturers can work within it was the subject of the IFMA Business & Industry (B&I) Live Conversation on June 6, 2023. Moderated by IFMA’s Charlie McConnell, featured speakers included:
- Bernice Radaideh, Senior Vice President of Food & Conference Catering, Bank of America; 43 locations and $90 million in food and beverage purchases
- Damian Monticellp, Director of Enterprise Hospitality & Event Services, GuideWell and Florida Blue; seven employee cafes as well micro markets, vending and a conference center
- Nathan Phillips, Senior Category Manager of Workplace Experience, JLL; 90 accounts in North America
About 30% of employees at Bank of America and GuideWell/Florida Blue are in the office on any given day, with many working a hybrid schedule. Phillips reported that 90% of JLL clients are embracing hybrid.
McConnell said that the goal of the conversation was to understand the role of foodservice management companies within the B&I ecosystem. And that can be different for each company due to internal goals. Monticello said, “Our mission is ‘helping people and communities achieve better health.’” GuideWell/Florida Blue does not use standard branded concepts; it works with Compass to develop food that supports the mission. And that includes working with local restaurants and farmers.
“What employees want has changed,” added Radaideh. “They want to support regional and diverse vendors and sustainability is important.” She works with Compass and other Bank of America foodservice management firms to bring in products that support those initiatives.
All three encouraged foodservice manufacturers to reach out directly to the businesses. “You have solutions for us but we do not know you are out there,” said Monticello. He illustrated that by a pizza program that had been brought directly to GuideWell/Florida Blue. “It took a long time to work through the system but we were able to launch the program and it has been a tremendous success.”
Bank of America is looking for more plant-based and wellness options, as well as sustainable serving containers and packaging. JLL is eager to work with smaller manufacturers but “they need to be able to scale,” Phillips pointed out.
Monticello observed that many employees come directly from colleges and universities and they expect the diversity of food and sustainability options offered there. “We need to focus on new employees as we plan foodservice operations for the future,” he said.