Sheldon Lloyd, founder and chief executive officer of City Fresh Foods, Black-owned food service business in a Roxbury, Mass., has landed a deal with Boston Public Schools to provide food to its thousands of students. The $17 million contract is reportedly the largest non-construction contract the city has awarded to a Black-owned business.
The food service contract comes after a committee consisting of both BPS and city staff unanimously decided to choose City Fresh Foods due to its operational strength, commitment to reducing the use of processed foods, as well as dedication to the community.
City Fresh Foods will provide breakfast, lunch, afternoon meals, snacks and summer meals to nearly 50,000 students in the city’s schools. The meals will be made fresh in their production facility using nutritious ingredients that are mostly locally sourced.
“Transformative change for BPS starts with the everyday experiences of our students, and this new contract ensures every child will have access to nutritious foods to energize and nourish them through the day,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement, according to Boston 25 News.
“We’re proud to partner with a local, Roxbury-based, Black-owned business to deliver for our young people.”
City Fresh Foods will collaborate with BPS to ensure that the students receive high-quality and nutrient-rich meals. A dietician will be a part of the team to analyze the nutritional value of all meals and also monitor student participation and minimize food waste.“Many of our employees, including me, have children in Boston Public Schools and we are deeply committed to further supporting our communities
where we work, learn and live to simultaneously provide quality meals and support our local economy. We are grateful to the Wu Administration and Boston Public Schools for their partnership and look forward to getting started this summer,” said Sheldon Lloyd, co-founder and chief executive officer of City Fresh Foods.For more information about City Fresh Foods, visit CityFresh.com
This article first appeared on Blackbusiness.com.