PARIS — Foodservice and facilities management company Sodexo is acquiring convenience services company Frontline Food Services, doing business as Accent Food Services.
The move enables Sodexo to broaden its multichannel offerings, including click and collect, takeout, delivery, convenience-store concepts, micro markets, self-service pantries, office refreshments and smart vending.
The acquisition reflects the acceleration of Sodexo’s “any food, anytime, anywhere” strategy, the Paris-based company said. This B2B2C strategy goes beyond the traditional onsite model and offers multichannel food offerings to directly address the varied needs of consumers.
The closing of the acquisition is subject to customary regulatory processes, and the companies expect approval in the coming months.
“With the acquisition of Frontline, we can better adjust our offerings quickly—for instance, converting from vending to coffee service to micro markets seamlessly as the needs of our clients and their customers change with the times,” said Sarosh Mistry, Sodexo’s North America region chair. “Sodexo’s ability to be agile is paramount; this acquisition further enables us to deliver on that need.”
Sodexo’s acquisition of Pflugerville, Texas-based Frontline expands its reach into the Mid-Atlantic region, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and more.
After acquiring food-tech startup Foodee and commissary kitchen model Nourish Inc. in the United States in 2021, and continuing to expand The Good Eating Co., Sodexo has taken another major step in its food transformation strategy, the company said.
Frontline started as a family-owned vending business in central Texas. The business has grown to become one of the largest independent convenience services operators in the United States with an operating footprint in the Mid-Atlantic, Southwest and West Coast. It provides a menu of refreshment solutions including vending, self-checkout markets, office coffee, pantry and catering to thousands of customers.
“Frontline has been servicing Sodexo accounts for more than a decade, and through those years a strong partnership has been built,” said Ken Sullivan, Frontline president and CEO. “Today we are proud to join the Sodexo family, a group with the ambitious vision to reinvent food services throughout North America. Sodexo’s and Frontline’s shared passion for creating excellent consumer experiences through great food, great service and great technology make this acquisition a real win for the employees and customers of our organization.”
Sodexo was founded in Marseille, France, in 1966 by Pierre Bellon. It operates in 56 countries, serving 100 million consumers each day through its combination of on-site services, benefits and rewards services and personal and home services.
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