<ARTICLE>  5
<LEGEND>
FINANCIAL  DATA  SCHEDULE FOR SODEXHO  MARRIOTT  SERVICES,  INC.  THIS  SCHEDULE
CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL  INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE COMPANY'S FISCAL YEAR
ENDED SEPTEMBER 1, 2000  CONSOLIDATED  STATEMENT OF INCOME AND THE  CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE  SHEET AS OF  SEPTEMBER  1,  2000  FROM THE  COMPANY'S  FORM 10-K AND IS
QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>

<MULTIPLIER> 1,000,000


                                                                                                      
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                                      YEAR                      YEAR                     YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                           SEP-01-2000               SEP-03-1999              AUG-28-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                              SEP-04-1999               AUG-29-1998              JAN-03-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                                SEP-01-2000               SEP-03-1999              AUG-28-1998

<CASH>                                                               54                        48                       79
<SECURITIES>                                                          0                         0                       10
<RECEIVABLES>                                                       463                       445                      374
<ALLOWANCES>                                                         23                        21                       17
<INVENTORY>                                                          67                        60                       54
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                                    682                       642                      605
<PP&E>                                                              272                       257                      249
<DEPRECIATION>                                                      176                       172                      167
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                    1,364                     1,347                    1,341
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                                               765                       718                      695
<BONDS>                                                             900                     1,010                    1,091
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                                 0                         0                        0
<PREFERRED>                                                           0                         0                        0
<COMMON>                                                             63                        62                       62
<OTHER-SE>                                                         (476)                     (556)                    (617)
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                                      1,364                     1,347                    1,341
<SALES>                                                           4,734                     4,502                    2,828
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                                  4,734                     4,502                    2,828
<CGS>                                                             4,415                     4,203                    2,709
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                                     4,415                     4,203                    2,709
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                                    123                       128                       97
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                                      0                         0                        0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                                   85                        88                       65
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                                     112                        92                     (32)
<INCOME-TAX>                                                         49                        41                     (13)
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                                                  63                        51                     (19)
<DISCONTINUED>                                                        0                         0                       77
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                                       0                         0                     (44)
<CHANGES>                                                             0                         0                        0
<NET-INCOME>                                                         63                        51                       14
<EPS-BASIC>                                                        1.01                      0.82                     0.27
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                      1.00                      0.81                     0.27

<FN>
On April 15, 1998, the Board of Directors of the Company  approved the change of
the fiscal year of the Company to the Friday  nearest to August 31 of each year.
Prior to this  change in fiscal  year,  the  Company's  fiscal year ended on the
Friday nearest to December 31 of each year.  Thus,  the 1998 fiscal year,  which
began on January 3, 1998,  ended on August 28,  1998,  and the 1999  fiscal year
began on  August  29,  1998 and  ended on  September  3,  1999 and was a 53-week
period.
</FN>