CONSTELLATION CULINARY BRINGS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO WEST COAST CORPORATE DINING

Since 2008, Constellation Culinary has brought quality, sustainably sourced meal options to corporate dining cafeterias in offices across the country, keeping clients and their employees productive and healthy.

Originally known as Starr Catering Group, the corporate dining business established partnerships primarily on the East Coast before it was acquired by the Paris-based Elior Group. In 2018, it rebranded, officially becoming Constellation Culinary, and now, it’s on a mission to further its impact on the West Coast, providing thoughtful food in various locations from museums to tech start-ups.

According to the American Heart Association, 90% of employees be- lieve that the quality of food offered at their workplace is important to their overall health and would make them more productive at work, reduce stress, and increase mental health. This fact is one that Constellation Culinary takes seriously, explained Felipe Jimenez, the company’s Regional Operations Manager of the West Coast.

“We’ve done a great job in focusing on foods that keep people productive throughout the day. That’s what corporate dining is about,” Jimenez said. The veteran foodservice executive has been in the business of corporate dining for 32 years and joined Constellation Culinary last year. With his expertise and knowledge of how food contributes to productivity, he has become a driving force behind many of the company’s latest developments at its West Coast locations.

The company currently has cafes in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Greater Phoenix, and Las Vegas metro areas. It specializes in serving food at in-office cafes, and many of these cafes also offer catering services. Jimenez said that the structure of each cafe varies from place to place, but that many of them operate “more like a marketplace.”

Employees will find an array of both hot and cold stations that they can pick and choose from throughout their day.

Most cafes serve both breakfast and lunch, and some even provide take-home dinner kits or pre-made, microwavable meals. The company uses Imperial Dade to coordinate eco-friendly, biodegradable containers for employees to take their food back to the office or home for dinner continued on page 114

By Ivy Thomas