Forward Thinkers Mergers and Acquisitions Success: Servomation and Aramark Refreshments

Thrilled to see this announcement making the rounds and the excitement building! As VP M&A at Aramark I could not wait to explore what it might mean if these two great companies came together. This deal reflects something that makes Aramark Refreshments unique in our Industry. We bring great companies into the Aramark Refreshments family. We invest in them because we believe those foundations should remain strong. Their sales and service teams continue to serve their communities with the same care and dedication that made them locally loved. What changes? The support behind them—with the scale, purchasing power, and national network of Aramark Refreshments. We’re better together. #AramarkRefreshments #LocalLeadership #BreaksReimagined #BetterTogether

A meaningful chapter closes. After many years leading Legend Food Service, we’ve officially transitioned the business to Aramark Refreshments. Aramark has acquired Legend Food Service and Legend Commerce CT. Over the years, our team built a regional platform serving thousands of employees across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The growth was never just about vending, micro-markets, or office coffee — it was about people, standards, and disciplined execution at scale. I’m deeply proud of our team. Many have been in the trenches for years — navigating expansion, complexity, supply chain volatility, and continuous operational reinvention. They built something durable. Aramark brings national infrastructure, technology depth, and expanded resources that will strengthen what we built and create new opportunities for customers and employees alike. Leading a company through scale and ultimately a successful institutional transition is a meaningful responsibility. I’m grateful to our customers, partners, advisors, and frontline operators who trusted us along the way. Excited for the Legend team as they enter this next chapter under Aramark’s leadership. Official announcement in the comments.

OTG (On The Go) has named Matt King as CEO. King brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in multi-unit foodservice, hospitality, and airport concessions. He previously was president of Elior North America and, earlier in his career, had an 11-year tenure with Delaware North. King replaces Jeff Yablun, who served as CEO for 18 months until August 2025 and who remains a senior advisor to the airport hospitality company. Read more at Airport Experience News: https://lnkd.in/eEkugjUJ

1 in 8 Americans have worked at a McDonald’s restaurant, and they are living proof that a job at McDonald’s is more than just serving burgers and fries. It���s about being a part of a community gaining valuable experience to grow your career. More than 70% of past and present crew members, known as the “1 In 8,” say the Golden Arches is where they learned key skills they’ve used throughout their careers – like communication, collaboration dependability, and leadership. Members of our team, such as our Chairman – Ed Sanchez, our Vice President of Sales – Dave Lopez, and our very own John Patrick Lopez – Vice President – Strategy, Communications & Governmental Affairs, all are part of the “1 in 8” family. Here is John Patrick’s story highlighting the impact that McDonald’s has had on his career at Lopez Dorada. #McDonald’s #1in8 #LopezDorada #Leadership

Strong hospitality businesses are built on strong people systems. We're proud to see MAJC✨ Advisory Board member Sarah King featured in Nation's Restaurant News, highlighting why Darden Restaurants prioritizes an inclusive workplace. As Chief People Officer of the world's largest full-service restaurant company, Sarah's leadership reinforces what we believe at MAJC✨: technology and systems should support people, not replace them. Workforce strategy is not a side conversation. Your people are your business. Read the full piece below. #HospitalityLeadership #WorkforceDevelopment #InclusiveLeadership #MAJCCommunity

Scott Smith - Max Hospitality Started washing dishes at 13. Today leads 10-restaurant group that survived COVID stronger than ever. 🍽️ CEO and President building next generation of restaurant leadership in Hartford. The Foundation: ➡️ CIA graduate (1983), learned line speed working solo at overnight breakfast spot in Scottsdale ➡️ Built Magdalian Management consulting: translated restaurant data for seven-eight years ➡️ Joined Max full-time when Rich Rosenthal's needs outgrew his business The Legacy Move: December 2024: announced 11 new partners. Bought out outside investors to give equity to next generation who've dedicated careers beyond weekly paycheck. 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gQ4iZD2n #RestaurantManagement #HospitalityLeadership #COVIDRecovery

RFMA 2026 | Denver, Colorado Last week marked an important moment for Facilities across Yum. For the first time, the Facilities leaders from all four Yum sister brands came together in person at RFMA KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger. Four brands. Four different operating models. One shared responsibility. Keep restaurants operating, protect the assets, and support the operators. That level of alignment matters. Each brand faces its own challenges, but the core of what we do is the same. When Facilities leadership is aligned across brands, it creates stronger standards, better vendor strategies, and more disciplined execution across the system. RFMA continues to be one of the few environments where these conversations happen at the right level. Proud to represent KFC Facilities alongside strong leadership Ben Balmages Taco Bell, Karen Panczyk Pizza Hut, and Sandee Salas Habit Burger. This is how Facilities continues to evolve. #RFMA #Yum #KFC #FACILITIESMANAGEMENT

If you've seen your bill lately, you know this to be true. The biggest culprit in the rising cost nationwide is a surge in dining expenses. The cost to dine out is up 28.2% nationwide, significantly higher than the price jumps for lodging (up 12.9%), round-trip flights (up 9.1%) and rental cars (up 8.7%). "These meal cost increases reflect broader trends in the food service industry, where labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and higher ingredient costs have pushed restaurant prices upward nationwide," the report said. "And because dining out typically makes up a large share of discretionary spending on vacation, the impact on family budgets can be especially pronounced." In Phoenix the percentages were different but the pattern was similar. Meal cost increases easily surpassed the national average — jumping 53.6% since 2019 — while lodging costs rose 23.9%, rental car costs 17.2% and round-trip flights 8.9%.

Lexington Catering has appointed Sean Ritson as Managing Director. Ritson has been with the business for seven years, previously holding roles including Operations Director and most recently Divisional Director. He has played a key role in driving business growth and leading the company through challenging market conditions, including the pandemic and the shift to hybrid working. The appointment comes during a period of growth for the business, with leadership continuity and operational experience seen as central to its ongoing development.

Bill Darden, the eventual founder of Red Lobster, opened the Green Frog diner in Waycross, Georgia, in 1938 when he was just nineteen. At a time when Jim Crow laws enforced strict segregation across the South, Darden refused to separate his customers by race. His stance wasn’t a quiet oversight, it was a deliberate challenge to a system that punished integration with fines, harassment, and sometimes violence. Local officials pressured him, competitors resented him, and some customers walked out, but Darden held his ground because he believed hospitality meant treating people with dignity, not enforcing a racial hierarchy. That early act of defiance shaped the philosophy that later defined his restaurant empire. Darden built his businesses around consistency, fairness, and accessibility, values rooted in that first teenage stand against segregation. When he eventually launched Red Lobster and later Darden Restaurants, he emphasized inclusive service, stable jobs, and upward mobility in an industry known for high turnover and inequity. Long before he became a national figure in American dining, he was a young man in rural Georgia quietly pushing back against the social order of the Deep South, proving that a small diner with a simple menu could still make a moral statement. #redlobster #thehistoriansden