A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
In 1996, Eurest USA was born as an evolution of Canteen Dining, a Compass Group on-demand retail and foodservice sector that was acquired in the mid 1990’s. However, unlike many of our sister sectors, we were not acquired but were created stemming off of an international Compass Group brand. That meant our leaders in the U.S. started from ground zero to build our culture, our operations and our client base.
“This is Compass Group’s homegrown sector. Compass never acquired Eurest; we created it. What is really cool about that is, we were able to mold and shape it into the powerhouse that it is today. What I love about how we evolved over the last 25 years is that we kept our ownership culture, and we have remained flexible in everything we did.”
– Rick Post, Chief Operations Officer, Compass Group North America
Landing client partnerships with some of the world’s top employers in technology and finance put Eurest on the map and led to its impressive growth rate over the years.
Today, Eurest serves more than 60% of the country’s Fortune 100 companies including industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, aviation, life sciences, finance and technology. As we look ahead to the next 25 years, we are focused on advancing our company’s mission:
Delivering memorable food and guest experiences, Eurest is the leader in hospitality, foodservice and culinary excellence setting the table for our nation’s workforce and industries. We are innovators in creating solutions that are limitless, providing nourishment in healthy, sustainable environments and continually designing a better future for all.
LEAVING A LEGACY
More than 115 associates who were with Eurest when it began in the U.S. in 1996 still work with us today. They are an important part of our story as the nation’s leading foodservice provider in the business and industry market with more than 11,000 associates in nearly 1,400 locations nationwide. These incredible people are a part of our DNA.
Scroll through to read of few of their stories.
BETH CASH
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
My role with Compass has changed more than a dozen times. I started as a management trainee with Canteen after completing my Master’s degree in Food Service Systems and was actively preparing to take my qualification exam to become a Registered Dietitian.
Over the last four decades, I took advantage of every special assignment I could get and the many mentors available to me. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with many different people and clients, and each engagement has made me a stronger person.
Share a favorite memory
The memory that is most poignant to me is having personally met Richard Cousins, former CEO of Compass Group PLC. I was at the InSights training event in the UK with peers from all over the world. The training and collaboration was certainly memorable, capped off by a small group session with Richard. He flew all night and landed near our meeting site to join us for breakfast and conversation. He was such a strong leader and compassionate guide!
Others who have impacted me and my experience with Eurest include Rick Post and Adrian Meredith. They worked with me through challenging and substantial negotiations in my early days as a District Manager. Their accessibility, strategic thinking, and patient leadership shaped the way I negotiate and strategize to this day.
TOM TEVES
DIVISION PRESIDENT
I started out as a Unit Manager at Prudential in 1987. Over the course of these 34 years, I’ve moved through the ranks to my current role as Division President for Eurest’s largest division, National Accounts.
Though we didn’t know it at the time, winning the IBM business in 1995 was the start of our National Accounts division – an incredible milestone for Eurest and for Compass. At the time, we operated geographically much as our other divisions do now, however, it became clear to us that larger accounts like IBM, Prudential and Microsoft needed an overarching operating team which led to the creation of National Accounts.
Share a favorite memory
One of my favorite memories was one year when we had a special tour for our Prudential client, and we wanted to really blow them away with our innovation. So, we ordered a special coffee vending machine for the tour and had it shipped overnight to the tune of around $10,000. It took us three days to find it and when we did, we jumped on it. During those times, we were just trying to find our way and we did what we had to do to grow. During the tour, the client used the machine and loved it, and we ultimately ended up winning the business. This really put us on the map and helped us to eventually win IBM, Microsoft and PepsiCo.
The most important stories are those where we have shown we are a people-first company. For example, we had an hourly worker at Microsoft several years ago who wanted to transfer to Holland, and we managed to get him a role there. Two years later, he is back and is one of our most-loved employees at Microsoft. Stories like these, where we have made an impact on our peoples’ lives, are really what Eurest stands for.
VICKI MCALLISTER
DISTRICT MANAGER
I started my career with the company in 1987 as a food service worker/cashier. I quickly realized the growth opportunities that were available to me and within two years, I was promoted to a Unit Lead. From there, I continued to move into next-level positions including Food Service Director overseeing several client contracts all the way to my current role as District Manager for the Western Division.
Share a favorite memory
One of my favorite memories was one year when we had a special tour for our Prudential client, and we wanted to really blow them away with our innovation. So, we ordered a special coffee vending machine for the tour and had it shipped overnight to the tune of around $10,000. It took us three days to find it and when we did, we jumped on it. During those times, we were just trying to find our way and we did what we had to do to grow. During the tour, the client used the machine and loved it, and we ultimately ended up winning the business. This really put us on the map and helped us to eventually win IBM, Microsoft and PepsiCo.
The most important stories are those where we have shown we are a people-first company. For example, we had an hourly worker at Microsoft several years ago who wanted to transfer to Holland, and we managed to get him a role there. Two years later, he is back and is one of our most-loved employees at Microsoft. Stories like these, where we have made an impact on our peoples’ lives, are really what Eurest stands for.
MARY BETH TOEWE
PEOPLE & COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT MANAGER
I was working for a small regional company, Newport Food Service, when Compass Group acquired it in 1998. Once I became part of the Compass family, many opportunities opened up for me. I knew I wanted to grow so dove headfirst, learning everything I could about marketing, purchasing, workplace safety and more. I quickly began to grow, taking a Purchasing role with Joe Mahar and becoming a Safety Champion for our region working with Jim Richardson and Gary Cason.
In 2018 I was able to expand this role to a national level for Eurest. This opened the door for me to get more involved, ultimately leading me to be the Be-A-Star sector partner for Eurest through 2020. Once the pandemic hit, the program was put on hold and has not yet resumed. I now handle the Eastern Division communications and get to welcome new associates, produce videos and manage social media for our division.
Share a favorite memory
My tenure with Eurest is full of great memories. I am most proud of my work with the Be-A-Star program, which gave me the opportunity to work with and meet so many great associates nationwide. Many of the associates I’ve met over the years had never traveled before and the Compass Night of Stars was their first experience. To see the joy and excitement on their faces as they were being recognized and being a part of bringing that to them has been so rewarding.
“I would like people to look at Eurest and say, ‘These were people that made the guest experience and the workplace so much better.’ I also want people to look at Eurest as not only putting a great meal on the plate but also caring about the community and are important topics like diversity and inclusion, sustainability, healthy and nutritious meals. I would really like Eurest to be known as a company that was a great place to work for all of our associates, something that they could go home and say to their children that they were proud to go to work every day.”
– Tony McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Eurest & ESFM