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The foodservice (or food service) industry (US English; catering industry in British English) encompasses those places, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal eaten away from home. This industry includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.
The companies that supply foodservice operators are called foodservice distributors. Foodservice distributors sell goods like smallwares (kitchen utensils) and bulk foods. Major foodservice distributors include US Foodservice and Sysco.
Some companies manufacture products in both consumer and foodservice versions. The consumer version usually comes in individual-sized packages with elaborate label design for retail sale. The foodservice version is packaged in a much larger industrial size and often lacks the colorful label designs of the consumer version.
Foodservice sales to restaurants and institutions are estimated to be approximately $400 Billion, about equal with consumer sales of foods through grocery outlets. The foodservice industry is one of the largest employers in the United States. Major foodservice providers include Compass Group, Sodexho, 3663 First for Foodservice, Aramark, and the Crown Group.
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