Abstract
France has a large and highly fragmented food service sector with many small to medium-sized players. During 2005, the French HRI food service sector served approximately 9,121 meals. Sales reached 72.93 billion Euros. The General food service sector picked up in 2005 after experiencing an almost flat 2004. There are growing signs of a recovery, particularly in commercial catering where the catering chains and groups posted a solid performance after a lean period two years ago. At the same time, social food services for businesses and schools struggled, whereas the healthcare and retirement home sectors offered the greatest potential.
