The Transparency Act

1. INTRODUCTION

The Act of June 18, 2021 No. 99 on Businesses' Work with Fundamental Human Rights and Decent Work (the Transparency Act) entered into force on July 1, 2022. The purpose of the Act is to promote businesses' respect for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions in connection with the production of goods and provision of services, and to ensure public access to information about how businesses deal with negative consequences for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions, cf. Section 1.

 For Oslo Street Food AS (Oslo Street Food/the company), it is important to comply with our social responsibility under the law by ensuring transparency and providing information about negative impacts the business, supply chain and business partners have on human rights and decent working conditions. Oslo Street Food will ensure that the requirements of the law are at all times implemented in the company's policies and procedures.

2. ABOUT THE REPORT

The following is an account of the company's work on the Transparency Act, including risk assessments of the company's own operations, supply chain and business relationships for the calendar year 2024.

Oslo Street Food is covered by the scope of the Transparency Act as the company constitutes a major enterprise, cf. Section 2, first paragraph, cf. Section 3, first paragraph, letter a.

3. BRIEFLY ABOUT OSLO STREET FOOD

3.1. Organization

Oslo Street Food, reg. no. 920 647 960, is organized as a limited company. The company is part of a group with a total of four companies.

The company's parent company is Food Court Holding AS, reg. no. 928 071 804. The parent company owns 93.067% of the shares. Lawi Holding AS, corporate identity number 820 213 432, and Grosvold Boat Production Management AS, corporate identity number 918 127 674, each own 3.467% of the shares.

The parent company is owned by Lawi Holding AS and Cgw Holding AS, reg. no. 920 355 943. Lawi Holding AS is wholly owned by Wilhelm Naustdal Larsen, while Cgw Holding AS is wholly owned by Christian Grosvold.

Grosvold Boat Production Management AS is wholly owned by Frank Grosvold.

Oslo Street Food's sister company is Barcode Street Food AS, reg. no. 927 600 219. The sister company is wholly owned by Food Court Holding AS.

3.2. Operating area

Oslo Street Food is a food hall with a selection of restaurants from different parts of the world. The restaurants open at 11:00 Monday to Saturday, and 12:00 on Sundays. On weekdays and Sundays, the restaurants close at 22:00. On Fridays and Saturdays, a selection stays open until 03:00. From Friday to Saturday, the nightclub operates from 23:00 to 03:00.

Oslo Street Food does not operate the restaurants itself, but rents out premises to restaurants that have their own employees. The procedures include checking that the restaurants have decent working conditions for their employees.

Oslo Street Food operates four bars in the venue, including both a cocktail bar and a coffee bar. The company also offers outdoor seating and runs the nightclub itself.

Through its restaurants, the company also offers catering, as well as delivering products and services that naturally coincide with the rest of the business. Such services and products include, among other things, participating in other companies with similar operations, buying and selling shares, or otherwise taking an interest in other companies.

Oslo Street Food also organizes a number of events throughout the year. The company's regular program includes salsa evenings, Morning Beat, Klesmarked, various DJ events and other seasonal events.

4. OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Oslo Street Food has a strong focus on sustainability and social responsibility. The restaurants use local food and recyclable materials, and the company strives to reduce waste and energy use.

Oslo Street Food wants to ensure an ethical working environment for everyone involved in the company's business, be it its own employees, the restaurants' employees and employees of suppliers and business partners.

The company has drawn up guidelines and routines to control and identify deviations from the above targets.

The company's employees have normal pay and working conditions. The Working Environment Act's requirements for working hours, written employment contracts, permanent employment, etc. are complied with.

Working conditions for restaurant employees are monitored through dialog with the owners. In addition, regular inspections are carried out. Any negative deviations will be followed up with further investigations and dialog with the businesses.

Working conditions at suppliers and business partners are monitored by means of letters to the various stakeholders, in which they are asked to answer a number of questions that are likely to reveal deviations. If the risk of negative consequences for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions is identified, the company will implement measures to correct, stop and/or reduce the negative impact. If it is not possible to reduce the negative impact, the company will terminate its cooperation with the supplier or business partner in question.

5. INFORMATION ABOUT RISK

5.1. Oslo Street Food's work with due diligence

Before Oslo Street Food became subject to the Transparency Act on January 1, 2024, the company updated its governing documents and prepared a compliance plan. This was anchored in management. In its work on the Transparency Act, the company has based itself on the OECD's guidance on due diligence for responsible business conduct.

The due diligence has been carried out in accordance with section 4 of the Transparency Act with the assistance of a lawyer.

So far, the company has not found it necessary to visit suppliers or business partners, cf. below on risk. To the extent that a real risk of violation of fundamental human rights and decent working conditions is identified at suppliers or business partners, inspections will be carried out. We have an ongoing dialog with and good insight into the restaurant businesses.

5.2. Summary of risks and measures

5.2.1. Supply chain - purchase of goods

As the restaurants use local foods, the risk of breaches of basic human rights and decent working conditions at food suppliers is considered to be low. The company follows up that the restaurants it rents out and cooperates with have decent working conditions.

Beverages are purchased from major distributors who have carried out their own risk assessments in accordance with the Transparency Act. It is therefore assumed that the risk of breaches at suppliers of beverages is low.  

5.2.2. Other business partners

The company's business partners are the landlord of the premises where the company operates, businesses that offer cleaning services and the restaurants that rent premises in Oslo Street Food.

The lessor has carried out its own risk assessments. The landlord also has few employees. It is therefore assumed that the risk of breaches at the landlord is low.

The landlord is responsible for the renovation of the premises. The company has obtained confirmation from the landlord that the craftsmen have decent working conditions.

Cleaning services are purchased from Norwegian companies. In general, the risk of breaches at Norwegian companies can be assumed to be lower than at foreign companies. In addition, cleaning services are purchased from companies that have conducted their own risk assessments. The risk of breaches is therefore assumed to be low.

The company has carried out a risk assessment of whether the employees in the restaurants have decent working conditions, particularly with regard to working hours and pay. The employees have normal pay and working conditions.

6. FUTURE WORK

Oslo Street Food works continuously to improve the processes related to safeguarding fundamental human rights and decent working conditions in its own operations, the supply chain and with business partners. In our further work with the Transparency Act, we will facilitate a holistic and integrated process where due diligence is carried out regularly and coordinated with related assessments in our own operations and by third parties. Oslo Street Food will implement this so that basic human rights and decent working conditions are given priority and are continuously safeguarded.

In order to uncover potential negative consequences for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions, Oslo Street Food will continue to regularly monitor suppliers and business partners, and continuously assess whether there is a need to conduct visits and/or risk-based audits.

If Oslo Street Food discovers negative consequences for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions, concrete assessments will be carried out and adequate and proportionate measures will be taken to stop and/or limit the negative consequences. This applies regardless of the legal implications such measures may entail and whether the matter actually represents a violation of the law.

To reduce the risk of negative impacts on fundamental human rights and decent work, we will continue to explore opportunities to increase our influence with suppliers and business partners.