Sodexho Alliance, or simply Sodexho, (, ) is a French multinational corporation and one of the largest foodservice companies in the world. It is present in 76 countries.
It was founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon as the Societé d'Exploitation Hotelière ("company that provides services used by hotels"). Since 2003, it has been directed by Jean-Michel Dhenain and Michel Landel.
Sodexho notably operates cafeterias in companies, public agencies, institutions, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, assisted-living facilities, corporate cafeterias, United States military messhalls, and even private prisons. Much of the food served at the Sodexho cafeteria at a Texas Campbell Soup location is actually provided to the cafeteria by Campbell Soup. However, the company's activities in private prisons and in schools have given to rise to considerable controversy and a boycott by over sixty US colleges and institutions. * The film Super Size Me criticized Sodexho's policies on child nutrition in their client schools, featuring Madison Junior High School (Naperville, Illinois) to make its point. Sodexho's turnover for the year ended 31 August 2004 was €11.245 billion.
Sodexho is now fast growing in the areas of plant operations, housekeeping and mailrooms.
Since 2003, Sodexho has co-sponsored a study with the U.S. Conference of Mayors on hunger in American cities. *