BOCA RATON, FL (July 28, 2010)—U.S. Foodservice, one of the country's leading foodservice distributors, celebrated the expansion of its South Florida division by donating 2,000 meals to Feeding South Florida and hosting a cooking event featuring some of America's top chefs.
U.S. Foodservice recently completed a multi-million dollar expansion of the division that is expected to add jobs and enhance the division's ability to provide superior food and related supplies to restaurants throughout South Florida.
"The division's expansion and investment in the Boca Raton community demonstrates U.S. Foodservice's commitment to Boca Raton and South Florida," said Troy McLellan, Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. "The company is a valued member of the community and contributes to our economy by employing approximately 300 residents and by serving hospitals, restaurants, schools and other food establishments."
McLellan, along with other local dignitaries and U.S. Foodservice customers, attended the event, which included tours of the new facility, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs and samplings of the latest food trends. The chefs included:
- Walter Scheib –Executive Chef at the Greenbrier in West Virginia, the Boca Raton Club and Resort and the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C. Previously, he served as White House Executive Chef.
- Johnny Rivers – A longtime veteran of the foodservice industry and a world renowned culinary consultant, Chef Rivers was voted one of America's Top Chefs and was Corporate Executive Chef for Walt Disney World for more than 25 years. He has also competed for and won numerous awards in the International Culinary Olympics and has fed more than six U.S. presidents.
- Allen Susser – A James Beard Award winner, famed "Mango Gang" member and owner of the acclaimed Chef Allen's Seafood Grill in Aventura, Fla., and Taste Gastropub in Delray Beach, Fla.
- Rudy Speckamp – Culinary Institute of America Senior Culinary Consultant and Certified Master Chef.
Members of the West Boca Raton Community High School Culinary Team assisted the chefs and gained hands-on cooking experience. In recognition of the Culinary Team's support at the event, U.S. Foodservice-South Florida provided $2,400 in scholarships to fund culinary curriculum at West Boca Raton Community High School.
"This event is our way of thanking customers and the community for their support," said Ron White, president, U.S. Foodservice-South Florida. "We are especially proud of our donation to Feeding South Florida, which is helping improve lives and strengthen the South Florida community."
In addition to the 2,000 meals that were donated as part of the expansion celebration, U.S. Foodservice-South Florida has donated nearly 360 tons of food in the last year to Feeding South Florida. Feeding South Florida is a Feeding America member food bank, which serves residents of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.
"One in six Americans is at risk of hunger, making food donations more important than ever," said Judith Gatti, executive director, Feeding South Florida. "We appreciate the continued support of U.S. Foodservice to help us fight hunger in the community."
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.