<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
     This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from the
     consolidated balance sheets and consolidated  statements of income on pages
     18 through 19 of the Company's  1998 Annual Report to  Stockholders  and is
     qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements.

</LEGEND>
<CIK>     0001007507     
<NAME>    Morrison Health Care, Inc.                    
<MULTIPLIER>   1,000
       
                                           
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                      12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                             MAY-31-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                  MAY-31-1998
<CASH>                                              5,720
<SECURITIES>                                            0
<RECEIVABLES>                                      22,268
<ALLOWANCES>                                          887
<INVENTORY>                                         2,936
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                   39,620
<PP&E>                                             24,191
<DEPRECIATION>                                     10,232
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                     84,374
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                              32,276
<BONDS>                                            31,690
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                   0
<PREFERRED>                                             0
<COMMON>                                              124
<OTHER-SE>                                          8,248
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                       84,374
<SALES>                                           250,371
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                  250,371
<CGS>                                             207,265
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                     207,265
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                        0
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                        0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                  1,528
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                    19,065
<INCOME-TAX>                                        7,513
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                                11,552
<DISCONTINUED>                                          0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                         0
<CHANGES>                                               0
<NET-INCOME>                                       11,552
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0.97
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0.95