French food service provider Sodexo is expanding its presence in Minnesota’s higher‑education dining market after winning new contracts at St. Cloud State University and Southwest Minnesota State University. The transition will result in 217 layoffs by Chartwells Higher Education, the outgoing vendor at both campuses, according to WARN notices filed with the Minnesota State Rapid Response Team last week. The changes are to take effect July 1, 2026.
At St. Cloud State, 153 Chartwells employees will lose their jobs as Sodexo takes over the Huskies Dining program. The cuts span nearly every role, including cooks, food service workers, supervisors, managers, culinary staff, administrative positions, and student workers. Chartwells has operated the university’s dining services since 2016.
At Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, 64 employees will be laid off as Chartwells’ contract ends there as well. Affected positions range from baristas and cashiers to production managers and the director of dining services. None of the employees at either campus are represented by a union.
Both universities say Sodexo is meeting with affected workers and expects to hire many of them, offering all hourly employees continued employment at their current pay and considering salaried staff for comparable roles.
Sodexo, headquartered in Issy‑les‑Moulineaux, France, is a global foodservice and facilities management company with more than 420,000 employees serving clients in over 80 countries, including multiple Minnesota State system campuses.
Chartwells, a major campus dining contractor, operates foodservice programs at more than 300 U.S. colleges and universities. It is part of Compass Group USA, one of the nation’s largest foodservice and support services companies, employing more than 280,000 workers and owned by Compass Group PLC of Chertsey, England.
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