House to Make Nearly $1 Million a Year on Cafeterias
Revenues entirely pay for fresh food, "greening" and new payment system
Sweeping, well-received changes in the House cafeterias and take-out food venues didn’t cost the American taxpayers anything, based on financial information released by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.
The House’s food services operations, which were taken over in December of last year by New York-based Restaurant Associates, underwent a complete overhaul, ushering in fresh food and locally produced menu options, the banishment of all Styrofoam and environmentally destructive containers and utensils, a compost recycling program and an extremely popular advanced debit system known as QuickPay.
Since improvements in cafeteria recycling have been initiated, the House has diverted approximately 200 tons of waste from landfills to composting operations. It is projected that, annually, greening improvements within food services operations will keep over 880 tons of waste from being sent to area landfills.
Even after the costs of all improvements are paid for, the food services operation should realize a net profit of approximately $102,000 more than if the former vendor had been awarded the new contract — which would not have included improvements realized under the new arrangement with Restaurant Associates.
“This is a perfect example of intelligent, strategic vendor management resulting in the private sector not only saving the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, but also, in effect, contributing to much needed operational improvements here in the House,” said Dan Beard, the House’s Chief Administrative Officer. “Our relationship with Restaurant Associates allowed us to make impressive improvements to our cafeterias’ food quality and greatly reduce the House’s negative environmental impact, all while ‘banking’ more money than before.”
Under the current contract, Restaurant Associates pays the House a commission on all food, catering and vending machine sales. Total gross revenue on all House food services operations is projected to be approximately $15.4 million annually.
“I get my food from the House cafeterias at least once a week and I am truly impressed at their positive transformation, enjoyed not only by Members and staff, but by the millions of visitors to the Capitol every year,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of the House Committee on Appropriations. “What is perhaps more impressive, however, is that it didn’t erode any appropriated budgets; these improvements happened through sensible privatization.”
“Our strong working relationship with RA has resulted in improved service and food quality in our cafeterias and we have developed and implemented a greening strategy that will serve as an international model,” said Committee on House Administration Chairman Robert Brady. “The fact that this has been done at no cost to the American taxpayers is remarkable and supports the idea that environmentally sound policies can be implemented in a fiscally responsible manner.”
Restaurant Associates is expected to take over food operations in Ford House Office Building and the soon-to-be-opened Capitol Visitors Center.
About the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer:
http://cao.house.gov/
About the Green the Capitol Initiative:
http://cao.house.gov/greenthecapitol/
For more information contact:
Jeff Ventura
Director of Communications
Office of the Chief Administrative Officer
United States House of Representatives
Jeff.Ventura@mail.house.gov
202-226-5680
202-360-0450 (BlackBerry)
