The Americas
Meta fires employees for abusing meal vouchers
Meta has dismissed around two dozen employees at its Los Angeles office after discovering they misused the company’s $25 meal voucher program to order household items like toothpaste, wine glasses and acne treatment pads. Among those fired were highly-paid engineers, according to posts on the anonymous chat app Blind. Meta, which is valued at $1.5 trillion, offers free meals at its larger offices, while employees at smaller locations receive delivery app vouchers to order food when working at the office. The firings were first reported by The Financial Times.
US nutrition program expands menu to meet participants’ needs
In response to falling participation, the U.S. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is expanding its menu to better cater to diverse dietary needs. The program, which supports 6.6 million low-income women and children, now includes foods like soy milk, teff, quinoa, and naan, along with more fruits and vegetables. These changes aim to reduce food insecurity and improve health outcomes, particularly for Hispanic participants in the program. The expanded offerings are expected to help families access more nutritious meals, with some states already rolling out the new options.
Asia Pacific
Chipotle invests in supply chain transparency
Sydney-based AI supply chain platform Lumachain has received a minority investment from Chipotle Mexican Grill’s USD $100 million Cultivate Next venture fund, which was set up in 2022 for the company to make early-stage investments in strategically aligned startups. Founded in 2019 by former Qantas CIO Jamila Gordon, Lumachain uses computer vision-based AI to capture real-time data on the condition of items throughout the supply chain, providing a comprehensive view from farm to table and allowing for proactive identification of potential issues, such as spoilage or damage, enabling quicker intervention and reducing waste. Lumachain hopes the strategic partnership will help it meet its goal to revolutionize transparency, safety and sustainability in the food industry.
Singapore engulfed by a wave of restaurant closures
Singapore’s F&B industry is facing a surge in closures, with over 200 businesses shutting down monthly, more than the pandemic-era average of 170. A report by consultancy Knight Frank revealed that 2,645 F&B businesses ceased operations in the first nine months of 2024, an average of 274 closures per month, which is a 19.7% rise compared to 2023’s monthly average of 229. Increased competition from Chinese brands is adding pressure, with new brands like Chamoon Hot Pot and Bingxue entering the market. Chagee, a Chinese beverage chain, also returned to Singapore in August after briefly exiting earlier this year.
Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
UK restaurants deliver creditable performance despite industry challenges
The UK’s top 100 restaurant groups have seen their profits dip from £246.5m in 2023 to £244.1m in 2024, according to new research by UHY Hacker Young. The chartered accountants network said that the slight dip in profits is a ‘creditable performance’ considering the challenges the sector has faced from the cost-of-living crisis and years of losses suffered during the pandemic. The Top 100 UK restaurant companies reported a loss of £673 million in 2021. UHY Hacker Young partner Martin Jones said the sector’s ability to maintain profitability despite the spike in inflation and weak consumer confidence is a very encouraging sign, highlighting its resilience to adapt to volatile trading conditions and rising overheads.
Irish foodservice businesses protest lack of government support
On Tuesday, the owners of restaurants, cafes and pubs marched in protest to the Irish parliament in frustration over the lack of support they are receiving from the government. Chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins said that this was the start of a ‘groundswell movement’. “It’s very tough out there at the moment for businesses, especially in the food-led sector that I look after – restaurants, coffee shops – we’ve seen over 700 closures in the last 13 months. It just can’t continue like that.” He said that decoupling cafes and restaurants out of the 13.5 percent hospitality VAT rate and bringing in a separate VAT rate for them would be a ‘silver bullet’.
Elly Earls
