Sodexo Wins Two Food Management Magazine Best Concept Awards

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Penton Media's Food Management magazine will award the winners of its 2011 "Best Concept" awards competition at a ceremony next week, again recognizing Sodexo, leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions provider, with two nods for exceptional achievement and innovation.

With award categories ranging from initiatives in new and renovated foodservice facility design to menu innovation, wellness initiatives, special event planning and convenience retailing, Sodexo's Corporate client segment concept "be... ™" was named Best Contract Management Company Corporate Concept and The Eickhoff Atrium, a Sodexo-operated facility at The College of New Jersey, was named Best Renovation.

About the winning concepts:

• Best Corporate Concept winner, be..., is in 23 countries worldwide and debuted in Sodexo's U.S. corporate locations in late 2010. be... creates an ambiance that transforms a cafe into a flexible and relaxing space for customers and a value-added amenity for clients. It was recognized for its adaptability (40 dining options), harmony with current cultural trends, and success in building participation (10-15% increase on average), check average and customer satisfaction. Ultimately, the be... ambiance creates an experience that builds individual relationships with customers through fresh, abundant, hip, healthy food.

• Best Renovation winner, the Atrium at Eickhoff at The College of New Jersey, is the product of a $5.8 million two-phase project, updating a 1992 vintage dining hall to better serve today's students. Eickhoff has increased transactions by 29% (over 170,000) and sales nearly 22% (over $1 million) since the opening of the new facility. The facility has enhanced consumer engagement from the students, faculty and staff on campus and has been instrumental in boosting voluntary meal plan purchases by over 17%. The renovation was recognized for its spectacular colorful design and its selection of vibrant serving stations—a transformation engaging all senses.

Whether developing a new program that uses a consumer-centric approach to improve the employee experience in an organization, or conceptualizing a one-time renovation that will attract students on a college campus, these awards illustrate Sodexo's experience and expertise creating meaningful, innovative and sustainable solutions for clients and customers.

The editors at Food Management magazine base their award decisions on a variety of factors, ranging from the impact of a given program, its effectiveness in achieving targeted results, the impact it may have on others in the field, and the level of innovation it represents when considered in light of standard practices in a given noncommercial segment of the foodservice industry. The awards are presented to winners at the magazine's annual IDEAS Conference, September 26-28 in Dallas.

About Sodexo

Sodexo in North America

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions

Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 380,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of On-site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.