Archdiocese selling food preparation site

The Archdiocese of Chicago is seeking to sell the Food Service Professionals facility, 5150 N. Northwest Hwy., as part of a plan to retain a third-party provider to prepare and deliver pre-cooked meals to its schools.

The archdiocese announced last month that it had decided that it would be more efficient to prepare and deliver meals through a third-party food provider instead of through the Northwest Side facility.

The archdiocese has provided food services to schools for more than 40 years. The meals have been prepared at and delivered from the food facility on Northwest Highway since 1983, according to the archdiocese.

According to the Food Service Professionals Web site, the agency has served Catholic schools since 1970, and today it serves 34 high schools and 300 elementary schools. It was founded to make sure that children would have access to an affordable breakfast and a hot lunch with minimal preparation taking place at the schools. The agency purchases more than $18 million worth of food in bulk each year.

According to the Web site, the agency prepares 75,000 meals daily, and it has more than 900 employees who manage the food service system and 40 refrigerated trucks that deliver the meals, which are heated at the schools. The company has partnered with the Ceres Food Group since 1995, according to the Web site.

The archdiocese says that it plans to retain the employment of as many of its current staff as possible.