“As a socially responsible business, it’s a challenge to compete with regular business models — but it’s up to us to be the change agent. We can set the example, the culture and the message,” says City Fresh Food’s founder and CEO, Glynn Lloyd.

“Behind our delicious food is a successful business model that incorporates community and economic development,” he says. “We believe that business is a powerful vehicle for empowering our youth, developing the community, and nurturing the environment.”

Mr. Lloyd started City Fresh Foods in 1994 with the mission of using local ethnic culinary talent to prepare healthy, home-cooked meals for homebound seniors. Today City Fresh provides over 4,000 meals per day for seniors, school children and other underserved members of their community.

“I don’t believe we can continue to put our collective heads in the sand,” he continues. “We have to solve problems at all levels — in our communities, in our country and globally. It’s a group effort.

“Entrepreneurs are ideal candidates to find solutions for these problems, because we are creative, driven and passionate,” he says.

What began as a small venture has evolved into a large food service company renowned for its commitment to the community it supports. City Fresh Foods is now a nationally recognized minority-owned company, and was ranked by Inc. magazine as one of the Top Urban Businesses in the USA in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

“Over the years, we have experienced steady growth of up to 30% a year,” says Mr. Lloyd. “This has enabled us to create opportunities for local residents to manage and eventually own their own businesses.”

City Fresh Foods prepares traditional, home-style meals using fresh ingredients and is the only food service company in the nation that offers dining services with a variety of traditional and ethnic menus from which to choose.

In 2006, City Fresh Foods entered into a strategic partnership with Unidine Corporation to provide joint management of on-site food and dining services to companies who want the services of a leading minority business enterprise.

“Since merging with Unidine, opportunities for mentoring and coaching for senior staff have developed — we are truly growing in all the right directions,” says Mr. Lloyd.

This growth includes a moving to a larger facility in 2008 as well as continued in-house training for City Fresh Foods employees.

“There’s always money in the budget for our employees to take workshops in management and culinary arts,” says Mr. Lloyd. “We have also hosted in-house computing, business management and lead manufacturing classes. Over the years, we have invested in our staff and management teams and we’ll continue to do so.

“We’re also excited about a summer camp contract we were awarded from the City of Boston,” he continues. City Fresh is supplying meals for hundreds of children who attend Camp Harbor View, a day camp for inner-city youth which starts in early July and runs for eight weeks.”

Mr. Lloyd is a graduate of Boston University and worked as an elementary school teacher before founding City Fresh Foods. He is involved with several local non-profits including the Four Corners Main Streets, and Inner City Entrepreneurs. He lives in Roxbury, Massachusetts with his wife and daughter.

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