A robust supply chain that includes products and services offered by small and diverse suppliers helps Aramark create value for customers, opportunity and economic impact for suppliers, and reflects the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
“Supplier diversity is not only a key supply chain and DEI initiative for Aramark. It is a business imperative that delivers successful outcomes for the clients, consumers, and communities we serve,” says Natily Santos, Vice President of Responsible Sourcing, Aramark. “We value the partnerships we have cultivated with thousands of small and diverse suppliers and continue to build meaningful relationships with new companies to strengthen our offerings.”
To bolster that commitment, Aramark has set a goal to spend 25% of its U.S. purchases with small, local, under-represented, or socially and economically disadvantaged businesses throughout its supply chain by 2025.
Some of these under-represented suppliers are companies that identify as being Hispanic/Latinx-owned. By the end of fiscal year 2024, Aramark spent more than $50 million with more than 100 suppliers identifying as Hispanic/Latinx.
To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 – October 15, 2024, the company is celebrating and highlighting a few unique suppliers and partnerships.
Cristina Foods: Quality Food with a Side of Sustainability
Cristina Foods has been a wholesale foodservice distributor to the Chicagoland area since 1989.
The company is a primary minority business enterprise (MBE) supplier to Aramark Student Nutrition at Chicago Public Schools and other Aramark-managed locations in the area.
The full-service company was founded by Cesar Dovalina, Jr., building on expertise he acquired as the market buyer and food and beverage director for his family’s Mexican restaurant chain.
From humble beginnings selling products door-to-door out of a used box truck, Dovalina has grown the company into a business with over 40 employees.
Since 2011, its operations have been housed in a LEED Certified-Platinum food distribution facility located in Chicago’s Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood.
To match with the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the facility boasts the first wind turbine installed in the city of Chicago, solar energy capabilities, a vegetated roof, and other “green” features.
“We work with local, family-owned growers, as well as other MWBEs who have scale and are third-party audited for food safety,” explains Dovalina.
East Coast Environmental Restoration: Fast Response and Expert Service in a Crisis
Throughout the New York Metro region, homeowners and businesses that have suffered damage related to fire, water, wind, mold, and other natural or man-made disasters trust East Coast Environmental Restoration (ECER) experts to provide restoration and remediation services.
Started in 2005 by Edwin Rincon, ECER has expanded to a large team of 20-80 certified and licensed specialists for fire/water restoration, mold, asbestos, and lead. Their crews dispatch 24/7/365 and respond to calls quickly using the latest technology.
“We guarantee a quick response to any emergency,” says Rincon. “Our team works around the clock to keep your living environment safe.”
In addition to restoration and remediation, the team at ECER also works with insurance companies throughout the claims process, providing accurate estimates and documentation to facilitate the claims.
A certified MBE, ECER has worked with Aramark Facilities Management since 2022.
El Tenedor: Spanish Food with Warm Hospitality
Bringing authentic, local food favorites to clients and customers across the U.S., Aramark’s Local Restaurant Row is a guest restaurant, food truck, and chef program that highlights and supports local businesses, many of which are minority-, women-, or veteran-owned.
In 2024, Local Restaurant Row partnered with more than 133 restaurant partners self-identifying as Hispanic-owned across 27 states.
One of the most popular Local Restaurant Row partners is El Tenedor, an authentic Spanish and Mediterranean food concept that serves up delicious dishes including paella, croquetas de pollo (chicken and bacon croquettes), empañadas with chorizo and Manchego cheese, homemade meatballs, and patatas bravas (spicy roasted potatoes) from a mini-fleet of mobile food trucks and trailers.
Co-owners Chef Carmen Cabia Garcia and manager Maria Zea and the El Tenedor team serve customers across the Kansas City, MO, area. In addition to being a local staple at festivals and wineries, El Tenedor is a favorite of employees working at the campus of one of the nation’s largest wireless network companies. They are often called to help with large catered events—and have expanded to other Aramark client locations in the past few years.
“We love what we do, and we hope we can transmit it through our food and service,” says Zea. “We treat our customers like family. Passion and love for what we do is the key to our success.”
In addition to robust sales and customer satisfaction, El Tenedor received Aramark’s President’s Choice award in 2022, presented to Local Restaurant Row leaders that exhibit a consumer-first mentality, provide great food, and maintain a clear focus on all operational criteria.
Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber: Advancing Business Leaders
Aramark has been a long-term corporate partner of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GPHCC), working with the organization and its members to help develop, promote, and advocate for small and under-represented Hispanic-owned businesses in the region.
Aramark’s Natily Santos currently sits on the GPHCC Board as Treasurer.
“Aramark’s support has been instrumental in the growth and success of GPHCC’s Accelerate Business program. Through their sponsorship and active involvement, we’ve been able to equip Latino entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge needed to scale their businesses and drive economic impact,” says Jennifer Rodriguez, President and CEO, GPHCC. “Aramark’s commitment to diversity and local entrepreneurship continues to uplift our shared mission of creating lasting opportunities for Hispanic-owned businesses in Philadelphia.”
The Accelerate Business program empowers small business owners with the leadership skills and support needed to grow their businesses and careers.
For the past three years, Aramark leaders have helped review grants, mentor businesses, and developed and presented educational webinars to aid participants. Aramark has sponsored 62 Accelerate Business alumni.
Supplier Diversity Awards and Recognition
Aramark’s commitment to Sourcing Ethically and Inclusively was recently recognized in DiversityComm Inc.’s 2024 list of the Best of the Best Top Supplier Diversity Programs for MBEs. In March 2024, Aramark was recognized by DiversityComm for its commitment to supplier diversity efforts in support of Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs).
Aramark received an award for Outstanding Community Partnership at the University of Delaware’s Supplier Diversity Conference in March 2024.
Fair360 (formerly known as DiversityInc) ranked Aramark on the 2023 Top Companies for Supplier Diversity list at number 20.
*Aramark’s DEI commitment is balanced with ensuring that protected characteristics under the law are not considerations for company business decisions.
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