Sodexo outlines catering plan for Rockingham County, recommends approval workflow and menu options

Sodexo representatives told Rockingham County commissioners on Oct. 23 that they are prepared to provide catering and cafeteria services for county events and facilities, and recommended a structured approval and pricing approach.

The company said it can support internal orders at cost while using a marked-up price for external customers or commercial events. As an example, a bottled-water line item was given as an internal cost of $0.72. Sodexo recommended using a catering platform (CaterTrax) to route orders for approval to the budget owner or manager before fulfillment, and to maintain historical trends for budgeting.

Sodexo staff discussed options for menu templates, two-tier pricing (internal vs. external), labor charges for staffed buffets versus simple drop-offs, and the logistics of serving the new county building (use of a food van with a lift gate and the county attorney entrance). They acknowledged staffing challenges and said they will send base menus and pricing to county department heads for collaborative review.

A county official said internal events for residents should not be marked up, while external rentals or third-party events should include a markup to cover cleanup and additional labor. Sodexo agreed to provide proposals for menu pricing and a suggested approval workflow for staff review.

Next steps: Sodexo will send base menus and pricing to county staff and engage CaterTrax for approval workflows; the county will assemble department heads to review menus and finalize internal vs. external pricing policies.