Rockingham County and Sodexo discuss catering, pricing and logistics ahead of new building opening

County staff and Sodexo representatives met Oct. 23 to discuss a proposed catering program and related technology, pricing and operational logistics for Rockingham County’s facilities, including the new building and amphitheater.

Why it matters: county leaders said they want a managed, budget-accountable catering system that lets departments charge expense to cost centers, tracks historical usage and separates internal (at-cost or low-cost) orders from externally billed events. Commissioners and staff also flagged logistics for moving food to the new building and for staffing larger events.

What was presented and discussed

Sodexo representatives told the board they recommend a catering and order-approval platform (the proposal referenced CaterTracks in the meeting) that supports departmental approvals, cost-center charging and internal vs. external pricing. Sodexo proposed building a county “base menu” to encourage economical ordering while allowing custom orders when required. The vendor discussed options to show internal pricing at cost and external pricing with a markup for labor, cleanup and rental recovery for third-party events.

County staff said they want internal orders (for county meetings and resident/family events) tracked to the appropriate departmental cost centers and billed at cost or with minimal markup. For events open to outside users or hosted by external groups, staff and Sodexo discussed applying a markup — and, where applicable, adding hourly labor charges for servers or expanded staffing.

Sodexo and commissioners also discussed:

- Approval workflow: Sodexo proposed that orders be routed to the requesting department’s manager for approval before fulfillment so the department with budget authority signs off.

- Menu structure and pricing: A county-specific base menu was recommended as a best practice; staff requested separate internal and external price lists (internal at-cost; external with markup to cover labor and other event costs).

- Technology and user access: Sodexo recommended using a platform that supports approvals and multi-price catalogs; county staff suggested a simple authenticated portal for employees and a public-facing catalog for external customers.

- Delivery and logistics: Sodexo and facilities staff discussed the lack of a dedicated dock at the amphitheater. The vendor noted a food van with a lift gate is available and county staff said the front entrance and county attorney entrance can be used for deliveries until a longer-term solution is arranged.

- Staffing and availability: Sodexo said staffing shortages remain a challenge; the company plans recruitment activity (including a job fair) to increase hourly staff for meal service.

- Events and ribbon cutting: Commissioners discussed catering the county’s planned ribbon-cutting for the new building. PrimeCare offered to provide catering at no cost for the opening; commissioners set a tentative ribbon-cutting for Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. with a light reception in the lobby area and a short photo opportunity on the front steps. Staff will coordinate invitations and will post event details on the county website.

Quotes from the meeting

- A Sodexo representative described the contractor relationship with the county during the presentation: “We’re as good as our last meal,” and added that the partnership requires ongoing communication and mutual problem solving (Sodexo representative, Oct. 23 meeting).

Staff and next steps

County staff said they will: (1) ask Sodexo to assemble a base menu and proposed internal/external pricing models; (2) determine a simple approval workflow for departmental charges; (3) coordinate logistics for the Nov. 7 ribbon-cutting if the date is finalized; and (4) work with Sodexo and the vendor platform to implement historical usage tracking for budgeting. Sodexo said it will deliver draft menus and pricing for staff review and will coordinate with county contacts Rich and the county’s catering point of contact to finalize procedures.

What the board did not decide

The board did not finalize a permanent internal pricing policy, nor did it adopt a final menu or exact markup percentage for external events. Commissioners asked staff to bring back proposed pricing scenarios and recommended language for department-level approvals.

Looking ahead

Staff and Sodexo will exchange draft menus and pricing, then present a recommended internal procedure and any contract amendments (if needed) for board review. The county will continue to coordinate catering requirements for the new building’s opening events and for long-term usage by departments and external groups.