Aramark Competitors: 5 Companies Similar to Aramark

Many people don’t consider how much time and effort goes into sourcing mundane, everyday services and products in the corporate world. We can easily forget that businesses need to restock toilet paper, clean offices, and feed their employees, among many other necessities.

Luckily for CEOs, businesses such as Aramark provide these services and products for corporate entities. By taking care of these specific services and products, they free up time for companies to focus on their tasks at hand. Aramark’s clients typically include institutions in the education, healthcare, business, prison, and leisure industries, although they’re happy to take on any client who needs their services.

While many companies opt to work with a single provider — such as Aramark or one of Aramark’s competitors — for all of their needs, it’s not always the most cost-effective method. So if you’ve been locked into a contract with Aramark for a while now, it may be time to consider renegotiating or sourcing some of your services from other providers.

Check out these top Aramark competitors to see if there might be a more efficient way to run your business. Not only have we done the research for you here, but we can help you reduce your billing, switch providers, or renegotiate old contracts.

Aramark’s Offerings

So many businesses stick with one provider, such as Aramark, because of the simplicity of one contract, one point of contact, and one place to source multiple services they need. Aramark offers many essential services for businesses, such as:

• Food Services: Aramark offers a huge spread of food services through various food service brands that bring nutritious meals to schools, colleges, hospitals, hospitality, stadiums, unique destinations, correctional facilities, and the workplace. Aramark also can create high-quality convenience experiences for smaller locations.
• Facilities Management: The company also offers solutions and capabilities through technical expertise, thought leadership, and innovations that help facilities smooth out their management. Whether you only need cleaning and environment services or are looking for engineering solutions or integrated facilities management, Aramark has options for every company.
• Uniform Services: Aramark offers workwear for rent or purchase to make sure your team looks professional and uniform. In addition, they offer managed restroom supply services, first aid and safety supplies, floor mats, mops, towels, table linens, napkins, and aprons. Rentals come with weekly laundering and delivery, while purchases allow businesses to customize their desired looks.
• Refreshments: For businesses that don’t need full food services but are looking to offer coffee or micro-markets to employees or guests, Aramark refreshment services supply just that. They have flexible solutions allowing you to customize experiences based on your needs.
• Hospitality Management: Aramark offers full hospitality management services from start to finish. Their offerings include the initial stages like facility design, construction, and renovation, all the way to business services such as direct-to-consumer marketing — plus everything in between.
• Supply Chain Services: Through strategic relationships with manufacturers and distributors, Aramark now offers supply chain management and procurement. They aim to reduce overall costs and provide access to a reliable supply chain.
• Additional Services: Aramark continues to add new products and services to their clients where they see needs and demands. Some of their additional services include retail and marketing, commissary, conferences and events, offshore and remote locations, and more.

While it must seem like a dream come true to find out that Aramark offers nearly every business service you may need, it should be no surprise that this convenience comes at a price. Aramark, like other companies similar to Aramark, is known for some major issues. From billing discreteness to not honoring contracts or even failure to deliver proper products or services on time, these issues can have a significant, adverse effect on your company.

Working with a company like P3 Cost Analysts can help minimize these issues. In addition, we can help you determine which of these companies can offer the best pricing for your specific needs and monitor contracts to ensure they’re holding up their end of the bargain.

To ensure you are getting the best service at the best price — whether with Aramark or with Aramark competition — a properly negotiated uniform and linen service agreement is needed, together with constant vigilance. P3 can take care of both of these.

Aramark Competitors

1. Cintas

• Services: Uniforms and work apparel, uniform services, facility services, flame-resistant clothing, training and compliance, promotional products, training and safety, and fire protection
• Areas of service: US, Canada

Cintas is one of the biggest companies like Aramark that offers a comprehensive list of services similar to theirs. Cintas is another example of a single source of supply, offering uniforms and apparel, facility services, flame-resistant clothing, training and compliance, promotional products, training and safety, and fire protection.

This Aramark competitor has a huge geographic footprint, helping secure it as one of the biggest names in the business. In fact, Cintas serves over one million different businesses! However, Cintas also brings up many of the same issues as Aramark, such as billing discrepancies.

2. UniFirst

• Services: Uniforms and work apparel, uniform services, facility services, first aid, and safety
• Areas of service: US, Canada

Not all Aramark competition has such an extensive list of services as Cintas and Aramark. For example, many uniform and linen service companies focus only on the specific needs of their clients. One such company is UniFirst. UniFirst manufactures, sells, and rents uniforms and protective clothing while also supplying some extras like facility services and selling cleaning products.

With its origins as a dry cleaning company, it’s no surprise that this Aramark competitor focuses on uniform services, including sizing and fitting, laundering, repairs, and even customized embroidery.

3. Alsco Uniforms

• Services: Uniforms and work apparel, uniform services, linen rental, linen services, facility services, restroom services
• Areas of service: North America, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand

Alsco Uniforms focuses heavily on uniform services but also has linen rental offers and some additional facility service offerings. Their website states that they are the number one provider of uniform rental services. Alsco Uniforms evolved from a small towel delivery route into one of the nation’s first commercial linen businesses.

In addition, Alsco Uniforms is one of the companies like Aramark that offers businesses ways to become more sustainable. From recycling rubber mats to using linens with a longer life cycle, they’re actively working to create more sustainable business practices.

4. Prudential Overall Supply

• Services: Uniforms and work apparel, uniform services, facility services, sterile garments and personal protection equipment, floor cleaning services
• Areas of service: US, Canada

Prudential Overall Supply is another example of Aramark competition that started as a small uniform and textile laundry service decades ago and has evolved into the giant company that it is today. In 2023, the company grew to $250 Million in revenue.

On top of typical uniform and linen services, this company similar to Aramark also has a department called Prudential Cleanroom Services. Their services and products help industries in the bio-science, pharmaceutical, medical device, semiconductor, aerospace, and other industries maintain controlled environments.

5. Mission Linen Supply

• Services: Uniforms and work apparel, uniform services, linen rental, linen services, facility services, disposables, commercial cleaning, first aid and safety, floor cleaning services
• Areas of service: California, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

While this Aramark competitor might not have the nationwide reach that the others do, it is rapidly growing. Yet, despite the growth, the family-run company still focuses on the same guiding principles put in place by the founder back in 1930.

Part of their commitment focuses on a responsibility to the environment, and they strive to maintain a positive impact on people and the planet through efforts to conserve resources, reduce waste, and increase safety.

You’re Not Stuck With Aramark

Just because your business has been working with Aramark for ages doesn’t mean there are no other options. As you can see, there are plenty of companies similar to Aramark that you can contract for various services. So, if you’re ready to switch or renegotiate and save your company some cash, reach out to P3 Cost Analysts today!

We have a team of experts in the uniform and linen industry who have decades of knowledge and experience that help them to save our clients between 30 and 40 percent! Even if you’re locked into a contract you think you can’t get out of, let P3 take a look. We may be able to get you out of your contract or help you renegotiate for better rates. We can also help you choose which of these companies like Aramark offer the best price for your needs.

What are you waiting for? Schedule a uniform and linen expense audit with P3 today!