EXHIBIT 10.23   

      FIRST AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN FINE HOST CORPORATION
               NORTHWEST FOOD SERVICE, INC. AND ROBERT F. BARNEY


This Amendment to Employment Agreement  is entered into as of this 1st day of 
July,  1996,  by and among Fine Host Corporation  ("Fine Host"), Northwest Food
Service,  Inc. (the "Company"), and Robert F. Barney (the "Executive"). 
WHEREAS, Fine Host, the Company, and the Executive are parties to that certain 
Employment  Agreement made as of June 30, 1995 (the "Employment  Agreement");  
and WHEREAS,  capitalized terms used herein and not  otherwise  defined  shall 
have the  meaning  ascribed  thereto  in the Employment Agreement; and WHEREAS,
the parties wish to modify and amend certain provisions of the  Agreement.  

NOW THEREFORE,  the parties  intending to legally bound  thereby,  mutually  
agree as follows:  

1.  Section 1 . is deleted and the following is substituted  therefor:  
 
SECTION 1. Employment.  The Company hereby
agrees to employ the Executive and the Executive hereby accepts  employment with
the Company,  on the terms and subject to the conditions  hereinafter set forth.
Subject to the terms and conditions  contained herein, the Executive shall serve
as  President  of the  Company  and  Executive  Vice  President,  Education  and
Corporate  Dining of Fine Host and, in such capacity,  shall report  directly to
the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors")  and shall have
such  duties as are  typically  performed  by a  President  of the  Company  and
Executive  Vice  President,  Education and Corporate  Dining  together with such
additional duties, commensurate with the Executive's position as may be assigned
to the  Executive  from time to time by the Board of  Directors.  The  principal
location  of the  Executive's  employment  shall be at the  office  of Fine Host
located in  Greenwich  Connecticut,  or at such other  location  as the Board of
Directors and Executive shall mutually agree, although the Executive understands
and agrees  that he may be  required  to travel  from time to time for  business
reasons.  Executive shall commence the process of relocating from Boise,  Idaho,
to the  Greenwich,  Connecticut  area  upon  execution  hereof  and  shall  have
completed  relocation  on or about  September  1, 1996." 

2. Section 2. The first sentence of Section 2 shall be deleted and thefollowing
 substituted therefor:

SECTION 2. Term.  Subject to the  provisions  and  conditions of this Agreement
(including  Section 6), the Executive's  employment  hereunder shall commence on
the date  hereof and shall  continue  during the period  ending on June 30, 1999
(the "Initial Term").

3. Section 3 (a) shall be deleted and the following shall
be substituted therefor:

 (a) Salary. As compensation for the performance of the
Executive's  services  hereunder,  the Company shall pay to the Executive a base
salary (the "Salary") of $160,000.00 per annum with increases, if any, as may be
approved in writing by the Board of  Directors.  The Salary  shall be payable in
accordance  with the  payroll  practices  of the Company as the same shall exist
from  time to time.  In no event  shall  the  Salary  be  decreased  during  the
Employment Term." 

4. Section 5. Reimbursement for Expenses. The last sentence of
Section 5 shall be deleted,  and the following  shall be  substituted  therefor:

"The  Executive  shall be entitled to reasonable  moving  expenses in accordance
with Fine Host's Relocation Policy incurred in relocating from Boise,  Idaho, to
the Greenwich, Connecticut, area." 

5. Add a new sentence to the end of Section 6(f) Payments, as follows: 

"In the event the Executive's  employment hereunder is
terminated  by the  Company  without  Just  Cause or by the  Executive  for Good
Reason, the Company or Fine Host shall reimburse Executive for reasonable moving
expenses in accordance with Fine Host's Relocation Policy incurred in relocating
from the Greenwich,  Connecticut,  area to the Idaho area.  Furthermore,  in the
event  Executive's  employment is terminated by the Company  without Just Cause,
Executive  shall  serve  the  Company  and Fine Host as a  consultant  as may be
reasonably  requested from time to time for the balance of the Employment Term."

6. Add a new Section 17 as follows:

"SECTION 17. Expiration.  Upon expiration of
this  Agreement,  the  Company  or  Fine  Host  shall  reimburse  Executive  for
reasonable  moving  expenses in accordance  with Fine Host's  Relocation  Policy
incurred in relocating from the Greenwich, Connecticut, area to the Idaho area."

7. Confirmation and Integration.  Except as expressly amended by this Amendment,
the parties hereby confirm and ratify the Employment  Agreement in its entirety.
The Employment Agreement,  as amended by this Amendment,  constitutes the entire
agreement  among Fine Host,  the Company,  and the  Executive  pertaining to the
subject matter of the Employment  Agreement,  as so amended,  and supersedes all
prior and  contemporaneous  agreements and  understandings of  Fine Host, the
Company,  and the  Executive in connection  therewith. 

8.  Governing  Law. This Amendment  shall be governed by and construed in 
accordance with the laws of the State  of  Idaho  without  regard  to  its  
conflicts  of  laws  provisions. 

9.  Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall 
constitute but one and the same  original  document.  

10.  Headings. The section  headings herein  are for  convenience  only  and do
not  define,  limit or  construe  the contents of such sections. 

IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties have executed this
Agreement as of the date first stated above.  

NORTHWEST FOOD SERVICE,  INC. 
President By: /S/ Robert F. Barney 


FINE HOST  CORPORATION  By:   

Name: /S/ Ellen  Keats                          Name: /S/ Richard E. Kerley  
Title:Assistant Secretary                       Title: President