FM's Top 50 Foodservice Management Companies—2009

Our annual definitive listing of the industry's major contract players, what this past year has held for them, and how they're coping with the business environment.

Guckenheimer Enterprises, Inc., Thompson Hospitality Services, Boston Culinary Group, Ovations Food Services, Xanterra Parks & Resorts

8 Guckenheimer Enterprises, Inc.

REDWOOD SHORES, CA
www.guckenheimer.com

SALES VOL. 2008: $300(e)

2007: $332
CONTRACTS 2008: 200(e)

2007: 215
SEGMENTS SERVED(e): B&I (97%), Other (3%)

Guckenheimer has grown from a West Coast regional player to a national company that is the largest provider of dining services to the corporate dining segment outside of the “Big Three” of Aramark, Compass and Sodexo. It currently operates in 29 states and maintains half a dozen regional offices. The company continues to emphasize fresh, natural and authentic ingredients and from-scratch food preparation.

Northern California remains Guckenheimer's strongest territory and one that generates a good portion of its annual growth. However, the company continues to land new accounts in other areas as well.

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9 Thompson Hospitality Services

HERNDON, VA
www.thompsonhospitality.com

SALES VOL. 2008: $270

2007: $265
CONTRACTS 2008: 120

2007: 110
SEGMENTS SERVED: B&I (46%), College/University (30%). K-12 (15%), Museum/Perf. Art Ctrs. (6%), Arenas/Stadiums (3%)

Thompson is one of the country's largest minority-owned businesses. It operates both franchised commercial restaurants and onsite dining sites.

In the onsite dining area, Thompson operates campus dining at 22 higher education accounts, many of them historically black colleges and community colleges such as Alcorn State University, Virginia Union, Coppin State and Chicago State.

In addition, it partners with various business units of Compass Group to serve several dozen corporate dining clients, including Aetna and Panasonic (with Flik), the National Institutes of Health and Microsoft (with Eurest), Chevron/Texaco and Cleveland Browns Stadium suites (with Restaurant Associates) and the Washington Post and Texas Health Resources (with Canteen). It also partners with Chartwells on contracts with the Chicago, Newark and Spotsylvania (VA) school districts and Radford University.

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10 Boston Culinary Group, Inc.

CAMBRIDGE, MA
www.bostonculinarygroup.com

SALES VOL. 2008: $237

2007: $230
CONTRACTS 2008: 162

2007: 158
SEGMENTS SERVED: Stadiums/Arenas (50%), Convention/Conference Centers (30%), Other (20%)

Boston Culinary Group manages concessions, merchandise sales and upscale catering and luxury suite service. Clients include 19 arenas, nine stadiums and several dozen convention centers, skiing facilities, performing arts centers and other venues. It also owns and/or operates movie theaters and commercial restaurants.

The company's self-developed Everglades BBQ concept at Land Shark Stadium in Miami has proven to be a great success. With six locations around the facility, it has proven to be a great concessions success, as well as a popular catering choice for the stadium suites.

BCG also saw the return of former business development VP Steve Cahoon as VP-marketing/business development and the opening of several new accounts, including Miramar (FL) Cultural Ctr./Arts Park, Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion in Gilford, NH, and the Columbus (GA) Civic Ctr.

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11 Ovations Food Services

TAMPA, FL
www.ovationsfoodservices.com

SALES VOL. 2008: $208

2007: $178
CONTRACTS 2008: 103

2007: 90
SEGMENTS SERVED: Stadiums/Arenas (44%), Convention/Conference Centers (30%), Other (35%)

Ovations is part of the Comcast-Spectacor entertainment conglomerate. The parent company also owns several major and minor-league sports teams and arenas, a 24-hour sports programming network and a facility management firm. Ovations operates in convention and exposition centers, fairgrounds, parks, amphitheaters, sports stadiums and arenas. It also now operates in four Native American casinos and is looking to expand in that segment.

Major clients include Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Rose Garden, home of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, as well as minor league and spring training ballparks and sports venues at Wright State, San Jose State, Fresno State, Temple and George Mason Universities.

Recently, Ovations has been busy developing a local, sustainable focus across its operations and is also looking to reflect more of a local culinary culture at each location.

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12 Xanterra Parks & Resorts

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO
www.xanterra.com

SALES VOL. 2008: $200(e)

2007: $250(e)
CONTRACTS 2008: 25(e)

2007: n/a
SEGMENTS SERVED: Parks/Recreation (100%)

Xanterra (known as Amfac until 2002) was formed in 1995 through the acquisition of TW Recreational Services, a business that traced its history back to 1905. Then, as the Fred Harvey Co., it began managing concessions operations in national parks like the Grand Canyon. Today, it operates concessions at Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks; Mount Rushmore National Memorial; the South Rim of the Grand Canyon; Silverado Resort in Napa, CA; and eight Ohio State Parks. The operations span 10 states and include more than 5,000 guest rooms, 55 retail stores and 68 restaurants as well as marinas, golf courses and campsites.

Last fall, Xanterra was acquired by the Anschutz Co., a privately held investment firm owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz.

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