Lafayette Square provided debt financing to support the growth of Genuine Food Lab, LLC (“Genuine Foods”), a Boston, MA-based foodservice management company that specializes in providing quality food for K-12 schools and higher education institutions across 16 states.
 
Founded in 2013, Genuine Foods is committed to making fresh, scratch-made meals accessible to all, and has established itself as a socially responsible provider of high-quality school food. The Company has delivered more than 16 million meals to both public, independent and higher education academic institutions located in underserved communities in the past year, approximately 50% of which have been supported by the USDA's National School Lunch Program.
 
“Genuine Foods is a necessary business driving measurable change within working-class communities. Proper nutrition and balanced meals are shown to have a significant positive impact on education, yet they are out of reach for many students in low and middle-income areas,” said Vishnu Amin, Managing Director of Lafayette Square. “We are proud to support Jeff and his team on this important journey.”
 
Beyond capital, Lafayette Square provides support and incentives to portfolio companies through its affiliated managerial assistance program, Worker Solutions®, a tailored benefit offering designed to reduce turnover and operational risk while improving job quality, retention, and productivity.
 
“This partnership with Lafayette Square strengthens our ability to scale our mission and reach more communities with real food that creates real impact,” said Jeff Mills, CEO of Genuine Foods. “Too often, independent, values-led companies like ours are overlooked by capital providers. We’re proud to work with a financing partner that shares our belief that food is a powerful force for good.”