Recharge, på svenska ”ladda om”, är namnet på personalrestaurangen som nu stänger. Bilden är tagen i juni förra året.
Compass Group has operated a restaurant, coffee shop, and vending machines on Northvolt's premises since signing a framework agreement with the battery manufacturer.
Now, the staff restaurant, Recharge, is closing, and vending machines are being removed. Recently, Compass Group's coffee machines at Northvolt were also shut down.
A memo sent to Northvolt employees, which Norran has seen, indicates that the Recharge restaurant will be closed starting Wednesday. "The vending machines will also be closed and emptied starting this week," it states.
The memo attributes the closures to Northvolt's "current financial situation" and the inability to reach an agreement with the supplier, Compass Group.
"Regarding the lunch restaurant, we are seeking a new solution to reopen it as soon as possible. In the meantime, all food trucks remain open and offer food," wrote Matti Kataja, communications manager at Northvolt, in an email to Norran on Tuesday afternoon.
Norran has contacted Compass Group, which has announced that they will "end their service delivery with Northvolt starting on November 13."
"This includes coffee and vending machines as well as a restaurant," wrote Susanne Moland at Compass Group in a text message.
Regarding the deactivated coffee machines, Matti Kataja at Northvolt wrote to Norran last week:
– We ensure that all employees can access a cup of coffee 24 hours a day, even if the coffee machines are not operational. We do not comment on specific details of agreements with individual suppliers, but we are currently in dialogue with most of our suppliers as our organization undergoes changes.
Matti Kataja, kommunikationschef för Northvolt i Norden.
A Northvolt employee told Norran that the news of the Recharge restaurant closure and the shutdown of coffee and vending machines "came as a shock."
– It's truly disappointing that free coffee, free fruit, and the convenience of buying food at work are being reduced. The food carts will still be available, but it was nice to have the option of going to the restaurant for a meal, the employee said.