Grazie Mille 2024-2025

Collaboration & Innovation PAGE 22

Food Literacy PAGE 58 Did You Know? PAGE 20

From Fedele

We believe that food has the power to do more than feed people.

DEAR PARTNERS,

OVER THE YEARS, I’VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WRITING TO OUR TEAMS IN THE FIELD FOR OUR COMPANY MAGAZINE, BRAVO. TO HELP INSPIRE THE GREAT PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR COMPANY WHAT IT IS, I’VE SHARED PARTS OF MY STORY AND MY DREAM. I’VE SHARED THE EXCITEMENT OF NEW ACCOUNT OPENINGS, THE LAUNCHES OF CHANGE-MAKING INITIATIVES, AND I’VE REFLECTED ON OUR COMMON VALUES AS CENTRAL TO WHAT SETS BON APPÉTIT APART. TODAY, I’M EXCITED TO WRITE DIRECTLY TO YOU, OUR VALUED CLIENTS, TO INTRODUCE THIS MAGAZINE, GRAZIE MILLE.

We’re launching Grazie Mille to say thank you (a thousand times) for your trust and your partnership, and to give you a closer look at what makes Bon Appétit so special. We believe that food has the power to do more than feed people. It brings people together, it sparks curiosity, and it can truly be an engine for learning and discovery. We know this, and we think you do, too.

In these pages, you’ll find stories from across the Bon Appétit community of clients and teams. There are stories of how we’re solving complex challenges together, like how we’re using data analytics in our Food Standards Dashboard to help clients and teams collaborate on shared goals around emissions and local purchasing, page 26. We’re highlighting the thoughtful work our teams do to collaborate with campus and workplace communities to help groups feel seen, heard, and celebrated, page 22. And we shine a light on the work of our terrific and creative chefs who are on the leading edge of developing a plant-forward future, page 48.

As you read, I hope you’ll feel the same sense of excitement and optimism that I do. In the almost 40 years since we imagined Bon Appétit into existence, we’ve broken barriers, built new ways of doing things in this industry, and changed the landscape for the better. Today, whether it’s through plant-forward innovation, our longstanding commitment to supporting local food systems, or leaning into guest-centric experiences with a very human touch — we’re continuing to build something together that matters. And we couldn’t do it without our dedicated partners.

Thank you again for being a part of this journey. I hope Grazie Mille inspires you, informs you, and most of all, reminds you how much we value working with you.

With appreciation, Fedele

strength of these relationships, built and shared values, is the engine of success. Whether it’s the innovations bring to the table to reduce the emissions of our food purchases; the memorable experiences we deliver; or the flexible adaptive way we approach challenges, we these accomplishments are made possible

built on of innovationsour emissions

Michael Bauccio

DEAR CLIENTS,

AT BON APPÉTIT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, PARTNERSHIP ISN’T JUST PART OF HOW WE WORK. COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP ARE CENTRAL TO WHO WE ARE AS A COMPANY. I TELL TEAMS ALL THE TIME THAT WE’RE NOT JUST SERVING FOOD; WE’RE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, BOTH WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE CLIENTS AND THE INSTITUTIONS WE SERVE.

The strength of these relationships, built on trust and shared values, is the engine of our shared success. Whether it’s the innovations we bring to the table to reduce food waste or reduce the emissions impact of our food purchases; the memorable meals and experiences we deliver; or the flexible and adaptive way we approach challenges, we know these accomplishments are made possible by the strong relationships we’ve built with our clients.

As President and Chief Operating Officer of this company, I have the privilege of seeing the impact of these relationships across the country on campuses, in corporate cafés and cultural institutions, and beyond. No two accounts are the same, but a common thread runs through them, a thread of collaboration that we can follow all the way to the exceptional food and hospitality our teams bring to the table. Our trust, insights, and shared commitment to quality help us create experiences that reflect all our unique accounts and the communities of which we’re a part.

That’s why I’m proud to share with you the inaugural issue of Grazie Mille, our new client publication. You’ll find stories that highlight the breadth of our offerings, from behind-the-scenes innovation and sustainability efforts to the talented people who bring our shared vision to life each day. Each story reflects the shared vision of our client partners.

The work featured in these pages is only possible because of your support and commitment, and the results speak for themselves in the experiences that we deliver to our guests, together. We hope Grazie Mille informs, inspires, and reminds you how deeply we value your partnership. Thank you for the opportunity to do this work alongside you.

With sincere appreciation,

Michael Bauccio President and Chief Operating Officer Bon Appétit Management Company

the Future Of

Connections, One (Virtual) Cup at a Time: Discover our new virtual networking and mentorship program

LUNCH IS LOOKING GOOD AT THE GROVE

Come In, We’re Open!

A FRESH CROP OF NEW (AND NEWLY RENOVATED) CAFÉS JOINS THE FAMILY

From coast to coast, it’s been another year of growth, in both new and existing business. In Palo Alto, CA, Sand Hill Sundeck was a big opening. This multi-faceted spot features a dine-in area serving house-made pastas and pizzas, sandwiches, and small plates; a New York-style deli and boutique market with distinctly Californian vibes; and of course, a sprawling deck with a firepit and seating area for relaxing and dining alfresco. The Sundeck is a partnership between real estate developers DivcoWest and Bon Appétit. Culinary Director Nicolai Tuban articulates the vision well:

“What I want to bring to Sandhill Road with the Sundeck is that delicious, exploratory energy of the deli while using the world’s pantry in a really creative way,” says Nicolai. “The Sand Hill Sundeck is a celebration of the Bay Area, from a Bay Area guy.”

In Southern CA, The Grove at Governor Pointe in San Diego is a new partnership with Breakthrough Properties, a real estate investment firm that has developed Governor Pointe into a life sciences campus with a focus on innovation and community building. Our team, headed by Chef Manager Jade Griego, focuses on breakfast and lunch for the life sciences and tech workers, with dishes like fish tacos (naturally, it’s San Diego) and breakfast bowls with quinoa and chickpeas emerging as early favorites among the community.

Neighbors at UCSD Medical are also thrilled to have a walkable option for meals and coffee. The Grove has partnered with The Mental Bar, a local Black-owned coffee, tea, and wellness business, to provide thoughtful and hand-crafted drinks to get the day started or for an afternoon break.

THE GROVE’S SERENE SETUP

SAND HILL SUNDECK TEAM, LEFT TO RIGHT: BRANDON STROUD, SAND HILL KITCHEN CHEF DE CUISINE; CORY HATFIELD, SAND

HILL SUNDECK RESTAURANT MANAGER; ALICIA COLE (TORES), SAND HILL KITCHEN GENERAL MANAGER; DAMIEN LEE, SAND

HILL KITCHEN | QUAD CONFERENCE CENTER CATERING & EVENT MANAGER; ANDREW DILDA,SAND HILL SUNDECK CHEF DE CUISINE; NICOLAI TUBAN, CULINARY DIRECTOR OF SAND HILL COLLECTION

We’ve been expanding a number of our national accounts to new locations across the country. We brought on a global financial services company as a national account, opening nine sites across the country into 2024. Teams also expanded our Pinterest footprint, welcoming eight locations across North America by early 2024, with more on the horizon.

Medtronic’s headquarters in Minneapolis got a makeover last fall, including the newly renamed Marketplace Café at OHQ (operational headquarters). All stations were part of the refresh, with new flooring, new hot grab-andgo (guests love it!), and all new mobile ordering technology via mobile, kiosk, or desktop. The layout also changed, bringing a new salad bar front and center in the café so it’s the first thing guests see when they enter, bright and fresh and colorful.

In the university space, the Butler University team in Indianapolis collaborated with the university to execute a major renovation of the café that formerly occupied Butler’s Residential College (ResCo). It re-opened with a new look and feel, many new amenities and plenty of old favorites, and a new name — Midtown Provisions. From a brand-new pizza oven

to an expanded C-Store, to a mural by a local artist animating the space, the new offering is a fantastic addition to campus.

In Atlanta, we opened the Woodi Café at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library at the end of March. The library partners with the nation’s largest consortium of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including our partners at Spelman College. We’re excited to serve this community of scholars with a menu of pastries and breakfast sandwiches, soups and pizzas, and plenty of grab-and-go.

In the Northeast, we embarked on new accounts at two liberal arts colleges, Stonehill College in Easton, MA, and Union College in Schenectady, NY, welcoming students at both schools with new concepts, stations, and meal plans. A Simply Oasis station at Stonehill has been popular with many students with food allergies and special diets, and açaí bowls at The Lux Café are another hot menu item. At Union, opening General Manager Pedro Fernandes and the team worked closely with the client to introduce new and exciting concepts, including a blend-your-own smoothie station and a customizable ramen station.

THE HOME & HEARTH STATION AT UNION, LOOKING SPIFFY

CHEESE, PLEASE! JUST ONE OF MANY LUSCIOUS OFFERINGS AT AT SAND HILL SUNDECK.

We collaborated on a renovation of the All You Care to Eat (AYCTE) facility at Beloit College in Wisconsin. Called Hamiltons, it’s located in a renovated power plant called The Powerhouse housing Beloit’s student union and athletics facility that was renovated and opened in early 2020.

When Hamiltons first opened in 2020 in the new building, it was with a limited menu of coffee, gelato, and a few items off the grill. But when it became clear that The Commons, the AYCTE facility across campus, needed an overhaul, it was a natural choice to remodel Hamiltons in The Powerhouse as the AYCTE. The team collaborated with the college on the remodel while operating The Commons across campus until the day Hamiltons opened to guests. From the vibrant salad bar to the new digital signage flanking the entrance, the new space has been a welcome addition to The Powerhouse.

Also in Wisconsin, we took over the dining services at the beautiful Mulva Cultural Center in DePere this past November. Mulva is a cultural destination near Green Bay, with traveling exhibits and programs in history, culture, science, and the arts, all set within an architecturally significant facility. Between the full-service restaurant, Savour on Broadway, and the café, Café on Broadway, the Bon Appétit team has fine-tuned the menu, tweaked the look and feel of the dining area, elevated the guest experience, and created more buzz in the community.

OUR TEAM AT BELOIT!

THE GARDEN BAR AT THE MARKETPLACE AT NBCUNIVERSAL

THE OPENING TEAM AT MULVA CULTURAL CENTER!

GRAZIE MILLE

Back in California, at NBCUniversal, Bon Appétit undertook a stunning renovation of the studio’s main café, The Marketplace. A gorgeous space both indoors and out, The Marketplace serves 1,600-1,700 meals per day, about 20% of them vegan or plant-forward. Sushi, fresh juices, and BBQ salmon with Cajun rice are among the offerings at this spot, dubbed by The Hollywood Reporter as “the most upscale studio [café] in recent memory.”

We collaborated with developers Healthpeak to open The Hangar, an artfilled community and culinary space in South San Francisco. A market hall dining experience, The Hangar draws inspiration from aviation and includes interactive art installations, murals by a diverse set of local artists, and six restaurant concepts, including the California-French-inspired Camber.

“We’re excited to bring The Hangar to South San Francisco,” says a district manager at Bon Appétit who oversees operations there. “Our design and concept pay tribute to the legacy of aviation, and our custom art installations by local artists further enrich the space, creating a unique environment where culinary creativity, community, and history converge.”

Additionally, we’ve opened cafés at AppLovin, a mobile technology company in Palo Alto; and Snowflake, a Bay Area data storage company. In Seattle, we opened the first of two cafés at an AI company there, as well as Corner 8, a dine-in and grab-and-go café that we launched in partnership with Kilroy Realty, developers who build and operate premium workplaces and spaces. We’ve opened a new account at a leading AI company, new stations at Roblox, added food trucks (including one focused on hand-pulled noodles) to a social media technology company’s culinary offerings, debuted a new café in Brooks Sports’ Seattle headquarters when they moved buildings (we added a pizza oven and automated pour-over coffee machine), and much more.

THE HANGAR BUILDING ( PHOTO CREDIT: MICHELLE MIN)

COCKTAILS AT CAMBER ( PHOTO CREDIT: KELLY PULIEO)

FROM THE FIeLD

BY LEIGH BELANGER

SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S NEVER NOT A BUSY SEASON AT BON APPÉTIT. LET’S TAKE A PEEK AT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR AT ACCOUNTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. CONSIDER IT A HIGHLIGHT REEL!

Sustainability

2024 was a milestone year for our local food programs — we highlighted the 25th anniversary of Farm to Fork (F2F), which coincided with the 20th celebration of the Eat Local Challenge (ELC). For the 20th ELC, folks brought their A-game to the program, the partnerships, and of course, the food. Teams kept things fresh on this anniversary year by adding pre-promotional activities, trivia, and giveaways to engage our guests. Some highlights:

A transportation technology company based in Silicon Valley pulled out the stops at their locations around the country. In San Francisco, the team did a full café takeover with 11 recipes at six stations, including dishes like campanelle pasta with squash from Capay Valley Farms and spicy pepper dry-fried lingcod. And a lovely touch was the baba ghanoush that Culinary Director Dominick Maietta developed especially for ELC, which was made in every location around the country, uniting the locations in celebration of 20 years of the event!

At Emory University in Atlanta, GA, the team paired a local food trivia game with their 100% local vegetarian feast. Oxford College of Emory University showcased beef and pork porchetta with stone-ground grits with gouda and cheddar paired with produce from the Oxford Organic Farm.

The team at Cleveland Museum of Art took inspiration from the Roots: Reinvigorate conference at F2F partners The Chef’s Garden for their ELC dishes like a kale and steak salad and a vivid butternut squash soup.

STUDENT FARMERS FROM THE OXFORD-EMORY FARM DURING THE 2024 ELC

In other sustainability news, Michael Alton, GM at Knox College in Galesburg, IL, reports that their Waste Not™ program is humming along, thanks to Sous Chef Rudy Martinez. Rudy was tasked with getting Waste Not™ up and running and “he really took to this,” says Michael. “Rudy’s leadership and commitment to the program really stands out and he leads by example in growing our food waste management program each day.”

At The Getty in Los Angeles, pastry chef (and Waste Not™ superstar) Joanne Ponvanit debuted a dessert menu with a “zero waste” lemon-honey cake with lemon mousse and blueberry honey (right). As part of Compass’ Stop Food Waste Day this past spring, Joanne has been rolling out featured desserts that use every part of the fruit, from root to stem and peel to core. Anything left over is donated or composted. Bravo team Getty!

At Colorado College in Colorado Springs, teams ran with an idea from the Bon Appétit Fellows and partnered with the school’s sustainability office on a tie-dye workshop using food scraps (below). “We loved being able to see our kitchen scraps get a ‘second life’ before they went into the compost bin, as food waste is something we’ve really been trying to focus on,” says our former community engagement manager.

Earth Day is a big one on the Bon Appétit calendar and a way for teams to flex their sustainability cred. Chefs at KKR rocked our Flip the Switch to Plants campaign with 600 plant-based meatballs — people were thrilled; the farmers market at University of San Francisco was the stuff Bay Area dreams are made of; and a new national financial services’ location in Austin ran with plant-forward meals for the entire month of April (a beet poke bowl was so popular, it made it into the regular grab-and-go rotation).

KKR TEAM, LEFT TO RIGHT: ARWI ODENSE, CHEF MANAGER; TRAEVON BAKER, PREP COOK; SCOTT BASINA, PREP COOK; KAREN ORELLANA, CATERING ATTENDANT; GEORGE BAUTO, CATERING ATTENDANT.

Food & Cooking

At the Ford Foundation in New York, Executive Chef Sari Frank has been collaborating with foundation staff on a series of menus catering to the global population at Ford. Sari has captured the authentic flavors and looks of some of the world’s most iconic foods, from hamantaschen cookies for Purim to sancocho and ceviche during Latinx Heritage Month. Our team’s goals at the Ford Foundation are firmly rooted in social justice for all, which reinforces the strong alignment shared between Bon Appétit and the Ford Foundation.

Chef Wars rage on between CA Bay Area schools University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, and University of the Pacific. USF Culinary Director Matthew Urban (last year’s champ, right), SCU Executive Chef Eugene Zelditch, and UOP Executive Chef Zulma Rodriguez Rios faced off three times this winter and spring with great fanfare from staff and students. Between dishes like Dungeness crab ramen, duck breast gorditas, and lemongrass pho dip, seems like a squarely matched battle!

At the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, chefs competed in their second annual Wellness Cup Competition, showcasing their plantforward spin on an American classic: the burger. The winning dish was a true Bon Appétit classic, featuring seasonality, waste diversion, and teamwork — all on one plate.

Led by Executive Chef Mouhamed Mboup, the team at Hill House Café created a 24-hour brined beet burger served on a house-made pumpkin rosemary focaccia bun with from-scratch chipotle mayonnaise, avocado, pickled onion, lettuce, and sliced tomato. Hill House edged out four other cafés to win the award. Judges rated dishes on taste, texture, appearance, creativity, as well as wellness and sustainability. The annual competition is part of the campus’ Dine Well, Eat Smart wellness education series.

THE WINNING BURGER!

Congratulations to the entire team at Chase Center in San Francisco, whose food & concessions program won the top nod from ESPN as the best in the NBA! Earlier in the year, the team hosted a 650-person dinner in the stadium for the Positive Coaching Alliance, a youth sports nonprofit. It was broadcast on live television, so the team had to orchestrate truly next-level service under a very controlled timeline. They had just over 40 minutes to clear all salad plates from 65 tables with 10 guests per table, top off beverages, and deliver a synchronized serving of entrées to each guest seated at a table. Get it, Team Chase Center!

Community & Hospitality

When an employee at one of our national technology accounts offered negative feedback on how a switch to eco-friendly reusable coffee filters made his daily cup taste, GM Jonathan Whitwell went the extra mile to make sure the employee felt heard. Jonathan reached out to the employee, set up a coffee tasting comparing the new and old filters, and sent along a handwritten note with a basket of treats. Necessary? Not really. A small dose of extra hospitality that paid dividends? Totally!

At Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), six employees completed our Leadership Certification Training (LCT). The six people were chosen by their managers, who also served as their mentors throughout the program. LCT gives supervisors and team leads the skills needed to advance into leadership roles, and at SCAD, they’re committed to investing in the team, and a new group was already set to start the next session as of this writing. Congrats to the grads!

Accounts all over the country celebrated Lunar New Year with festive events. At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA, the team set up a festive fruit table at their Double Helix Café, handing out red envelopes with surprises (Free drinks! Well wishes!) inside. The café ran a special menu, complete with fortune cookies and plenty of joy, warmth, and celebration.

We loved reading about the event at Target HQ to honor the launch of the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum, planned to open on the National Mall in Washington, DC, within the next decade. An all-women lineup of vendors, providing everything from the linens to the black cherry spritzers, was an extra-thoughtful touch from the (women-led) catering team.

In CA, a top cybersecurity company in the Bay Area has been developing team-building efforts that include cooking classes to foster engagement and collaboration among guests. “Whether participants are making fresh pasta, rolling sushi, or preparing a three-course French meal, we aim to create a positive and enjoyable experience for everyone involved,” says Samantha Reyes, resident district manager.

CONGRATS TO THE SCAD LCT GRADS! FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ANYI PEREZ-BAEZ, PASTRY CHEF; ROBERTO RAMIREZ, SOUS CHEF; GERALDINE GONZALEZ, SOUS CHEF; RONALD MITCHELL, SOUS CHEF; GERALYNN HAMPTON, SUPERVISOR; RAPHAELA GILES, SUPERVISOR, FOH LEAD.

Wellness & Food Literacy

LeTourneau University in Longview, TX, asked the team to help kick off their annual Employee Benefit and Wellness Fair. With help from Regional Nutritional and Wellness Manager Leslie Mathiasmeier and Catering Manager Frankie Cendejas, the team showed the attendees how to revamp snack time and party boards to make them delicious and healthy.

Leslie and Frankie laid out a spread of hummus and white bean dip, fresh seasonal vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds, as well house made chips, crackers, and spa waters for guests, along with ample resources to back up all the delicious food, including opportunities to “Meet the RD” with

Speaking of wellness fairs, at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Wellness Manager Precious Nwokeleme and Recruitment and Marketing Manager Ryan Rogers gamified our wellness pillars (social, physical, and environmental wellness) at the school’s student health and wellness fair with a spinning wheel that gave students the opportunity to reflect on how their day-to-day activities impacted the different pillars. They could enter a drawing for a prize, sip on Numi tea, and taste maple glazed tofu with jasmine rice and broccoli as a special treat for attending the event.

At Target North Campus outside Minneapolis, the team built on the success of the Healthy Kids offerings and designed an interactive, in-person event called Party Smart. Chefs Deziree Klema and Brian Henning demonstrated how to make recipes like baba ghanoush,

hummus, and a rich and creamy cashew cheese dip highlighting the versatility and flavor of these healthy, plant-forward options.

At Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, Regional Wellness Manager Dan Connolly led a presentation on mindful eating with the Beta Iota chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. Dan collaborated with General Manager Dawyn Patterson on the event, and discussed both mindful eating and intuitive eating, and the similarities and differences between both. He then led an Engage Your Senses mindfulness activity, followed by a Q&A session where the sorority members discussed related topics like rejecting diet mentality, honoring their hunger, and making peace with food.

“I didn’t know I loved mushrooms!” said one of the 300 students from schools near STEM Kitchen & Garden in San Francisco who have visited the restaurant for interactive Healthy Kids field trips in the restaurant’s kitchen and gardens. Some kids discover a love for ‘shrooms, others learn that lemons can appear small and green before transforming into a juicy large yellow fruit; that thyme grows in a small bush, producing purple flowers; and yellow and orange nasturtium flowers are edible.

In fact, kids all over the country are building their food literacy in our Healthy Kids programs — from a food-focused scavenger hunt and a gardening activity at an area cybersecurity company in CA to a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club near LeTourneau University where children from the community made fruit kebabs and vegetable pinwheels. It’s food! It’s fun!

At the cybersecurity company, the garden also served as the backdrop for impactful Healthy Kids cooking classes recently. Young participants had the opportunity to join handson cooking classes where they learned about the significance of seasonal ingredients and how to safely navigate the kitchen. They also took a garden tour with Chef Val Borodin and learned about the importance of gardens to chefs, the role of seasonality in menu creation, and the unique characteristics of various herbs and plants.

HEALTHY KIDS AT STEM IN SAN FRANCISCO

GRAZIE MILLE

Healthy Kids was abuzz last fall with Alvéole, a company dedicated to urban beekeeping and sustainable practices. Alvéole engaged young kids from the Bay Area and shared insights into the fascinating world of bees. Kids (and adults) were rapt, watching freshly pulled bee frames and learning about the process of collecting honey and beeswax.

Safety

Crossroads Café, north of Indianapolis, celebrated seven years accidentfree this past fall. The café has been home to various managers during its 26 years under Bon Appétit, with multiple leadership teams contributing to the recent safety streak, with long-serving associates at the core of defining the safety culture. The Crossroads Café team is a close-knit group that’s worked together through many changes over the years. The team credits their success to “taking care of each other,” as Rosana Rosso, prep cook, shared at a recent 10@10 meeting. Kevin Minniefield also attributed the safety run to awareness, stating, “We are conscious of each other and pay attention to our co-workers.”

The team at SAS Building C Marketplace in Cary, NC, passed 3,000 days without a reported safety accident (they’ve been lucky to have two celebrations of passing 3,000 accident-free days). They had cake and ice cream to celebrate, and the team was awarded either a custom designed polar fleece or a chef coat embroidered with “3K Club.” Why 3K Club? It’s about bragging rights to their team’s accident-free streak! Kudos to the team at SAS!

HARVESTING HONEY WITH HEALTHY KIDS

Did You Know?

A Roundup of Resources

Our culture of continuous improvement means that we’re always developing ways to educate, enrich, and inspire our associates and improve our operations. Whether it’s programs that keep our people healthy and safe, or resources that streamline and improve the guest experience, we constantly have something new up our sleeve. Read on to learn about some of our most recently developed resources.

ACTIVATIONS

ACTIVATIONS

Š Our Image & Style team has created a suite of Activations, experiential marketing strategies that create memorable and innovative customer experiences. These events instill a deep emotional connection between our guests, our brands, and our clients’ brand. For example: Ramen Lovers’ Club

• Taste the Trend

• Compono (where guests are taught to be the “composer” of the meal)

Š Our Brand Standards Intensives, also led by the Image & Style team, give operations a glow-up as needed. Our teams help on-site leadership rethink existing operations with a focus on branding, merchandising, concept enhancement, guest experience, and activation. It’s all to ensure our clients stay happy.

Š Our 13x4 safety training program is designed solely to educate, inspire, and operationalize our team members’ safety. It grounds associates in the key concepts underpinning our safety culture and takes them through a series of training modules that ensure comprehensive understanding of all things safety. Since launching the program, we’ve seen a 10% reduction in our Injury Frequency Rate (IFR, OSHA metric).

Š Food safety is always our top priority, so our teams receive rigorous training on the subject — they even take a safety pledge! All of our managers are required to be ServSafe certified, which is the industry’s premier food safety certification. Both managers and hourly employees take food safety training designed for their roles, which makes food safety practices easy to understand and second nature in their everyday operations.

Š All associates receive an annual industry-certified allergen awareness training to equip them with the knowledge they need to navigate the complex landscape of safely serving guests with food allergies.

SAFETY ONGOING EDUCATION

SAFETY ONGOING EDUCATION

Š Our Diversity and Inclusion Action Council (DIAC) is comprised of HR leaders and employees who work together to create a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive for all. The DIAC recently initiated no-cost Rosetta Stone languagelearning lessons in six languages for any full or part-time employee who has been employed in good standing with the company for at least six months.

Š Among other initiatives, the DIAC also played a key role in launching the leadership training and mentorship programs you can read about starting on page 102.

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY

Š Senior leaders throughout the company are experimenting with enterprise-level ChatGPT to identify AI best practices for our business. Potential opportunities? Streamlining inventory, financial analysis, customized training, and a variety of communications tasks.

COLLABORATION INNOVATION &

At Bon Appétit, our client relationships are built on trust, creativity, and shared purpose. Sometimes we work together to create something new. Other times you inspire us to invent a new program or system that benefits all. We’re always working with our clients to add value to our programs and create dining experiences that reflect each community’s unique culture and values. The following stories — ranging from emergency preparedness on college campuses to tools and programs we bring to the table for our clients and guests — demonstrate this spirit of collaboration and creative optimization that flourishes with the right partners.

BY LEIGH BELANGER

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMERGENCY PLANNING

Los Angeles-area accounts were hit hard by last winter’s fires, starting with the Franklin Fire in the area surrounding Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. Regional Manager Jotanna Proescholdt described a scene where hundreds of students were sleeping and charging devices in the library and the café for safety while many members of the Bon Appétit team drove back to work after the fire broke out to make sure people were fed.

Nestled between the Santa Monica mountains and the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Pepperdine’s campus is beautiful. But due to their location, the campus must be prepared for wildfires that can impact the region. This includes comprehensive plans to address wildfires, including a shelter in place policy, meaning students and the community remain on campus during emergencies to keep the PCH clear for emergency vehicles and others evacuating.

The campus is designed with plenty of “defensible space,” so when the Franklin Fire reached campus (as the University has seen in past fires), it burned landscaping along campus hillsides and in some cases near buildings, including right outside the food service building, but the community and the buildings remained safe.

Less than a month later, the series of LA-area fires also affected Pepperdine (as well as our accounts at The Getty, The Huntington, and Mount Saint Mary’s College) with smoke and gas outages. In both cases, the team’s com-

How the Pepperdine Team

Made Breakfast for 1,600 at 3:30 a.m.

During a Wildfire

mitment to an emergency plan allowed them to go above and beyond the University’s emergency preparedness expectations.

In the face of climate disasters that can impact campus operations for extended periods, having a solid, tested emergency plan is a must. “It’s imperative to have a collaboration between the client and us, and to understand the different accounts’ expectations and limitations,” says Mark Daniels, director of integrated safety. We spoke with Jotanna and Mark about how to build an emergency plan, how we execute in times of emergency, and advice when facing catastrophes.

A Series of Revisions

When Bon Appétit took over the business at Pepperdine, one of the first things they were asked to do was create an emergency plan. “It really started to take shape when as a team, we collectively knew we needed something that people can use if we’re not here. And it needs to be visual, because people are stressed in an emergency,” Jotanna says. “They need to be able to look quickly, so it can’t be like, a thousand words on a page.”

In times like this, we are again reminded of the great partner we have in Bon Appétit. Our sincere gratitude goes to the dedicated team at Pepperdine and to the entire Bon Appétit organization. It is in moments of adversity that true character is revealed, and Bon Appétit — along with its remarkable employees, whom we proudly consider part of the Pepperdine family — have character in spades. Their compassionate care for our community, carried out with unwavering professionalism, is a testament to their excellence.

Nicolle Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Pepperdine University

The team took pictures of every area in the kitchen and created color-coded diagrams that allow anyone with the binder to follow the steps for getting the first meal out to the community. The binder includes a menu for that meal — which is always breakfast, regardless of time of day, because breakfast is relatively easy, says Jotanna. “And once you get the first meal out, you can breathe and think ahead.”

HERE TO HELP: There are many resources available to help teams and clients build solid, workable emergency plans. It starts with making sure the right people are at the table, says Mark. That should include unit leadership as well as the client, someone from campus safety, and leaders from the Bon Appétit safety team, such as Mark Daniels or Jeff Leahy. Both Bon Appétit and Compass offer emergency planning templates in the respective safety manuals. Remember that there are resources at our corporate level and at the Compass corporate level. Mark’s team and the crisis management team are available before, during, and after the event, for cleanup and reinspection of the process. “We’re here to help,” says Mark.

Even after Bon Appétit calmly executed the emergency plan during the Franklin Fire, they knew there were spots that needed tweaking. “The plan is really built on a series of revisions,” she says. “It’s never a final plan.” Mark agrees. “Plans should always be updated and adjusted,” he says. “Campuses and workplaces are always in flux, and there are all kinds of dynamic realities that need to be considered.” He suggests revisiting emergency plans annually at a minimum, and post-event so recent experiences can be integrated.

Testing, Testing...

Testing is key to any plan’s success. “We can’t just write a plan and then not communicate it to our teams,” says Mark. “We have to go through it a couple times a year so they know what to do.”

Jotanna’s team runs regular “tabletop” exercises where managers and supervisors come together to talk through and troubleshoot the plan together. Then they break into two groups and run through scenarios to see what it looks like when it’s put into place. When the two teams come back together, the full group debriefs so they can identify the weak spots in the plan and reassess. “If you do this regularly,” says Jotanna, “it becomes a normal thing for the team, and reinforces that the plan really is a living document.”

While every team member is aware of the University’s shelter-in-place plan and the role Bon Appétit plays, these “tabletop” exercises will be expanded to include all Bon Appétit staff at Pepperdine to ensure everyone is aware and prepared to execute during an emergency.

Keep Calm and Put Someone in

Charge

With a wildfire on campus, only three team members on-site at first, and hundreds of students sleeping in the café, the Franklin Fire situation was overwhelming, says Jotanna. “It’s hard, but you can’t panic,” she says. “You just need a moment to get it together.” And then someone needs to take charge of the situation, ideally the designated PIC (Person in Charge), who has been trained on the plan. Because “if you don’t know the plan,” she says, “you won’t have the confidence to take the lead and say, ‘here’s what we’re going to do.’”

And regardless of what’s happening — in the case of the Franklin Fire, Jotanna had to wait for facilities to come light the pilot lights before she could start cooking breakfast at 1:30 am — “the most important thing is to never look like you’re panicked,” she says.

“In this job, as managers, if you’re panicked, your team’s going to panic. You just have to take a breath and say, ‘we’ve got this.’”

THE PEPPERDINE CAMPUS DURING THE FRANKLIN FIRE IN DECEMBER. ( CREDIT: PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY)

A Superpower Hiding in Plain Sight

BY LEIGH BELANGER

ACCELERATING FOOD LITERACY WITH THE FOOD STANDARDS DASHBOARD

Every day when our associates open Café Manager, there it is: the built-in ability to improve purchasing compliance, add value to client offerings, and use data to tell powerful stories about our values.

The Food Standards Dashboard (FSD), our sustainability and wellness data tracking and reporting tool, puts a ton of actionable data at our fingertips. The dashboard gives teams the power to use data and analytics to understand how well they are doing in following our purchasing policies and meeting our food standards as well as our climate and wellness commitments. And it comes with support from the Purchasing team to help meet whatever goals teams have around putting your data to use.

We spoke with Curt McClusick, who oversees the FSD in his role as senior manager of data and analytics on the Purchasing team, about best practices for working with the FSD. Here’s what he said.

START WITH THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT: The number one thing that people can be doing, says Curt, is interacting with the dashboard regularly. It’s simple — it’s right there in Café Manager, and your reported spend is automatically uploaded once per month. “When you’re looking at the icons on the dashboard,” says Curt, “you can easily see the products that are affecting your scores.” The Purchasing team is available to help guide you toward products that will increase our COR compliance or our Farm to Fork scores.

WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS ... YOU ACHIEVE WHAT YOU MEASURE.

TAP THE PURCHASING TEAM FOR HELP WITH REPORTING PROJECTS: Since the second generation of the FSD was released in 2022, teams have been increasingly recognizing the power of their data for reporting purposes. Whether you’re looking for information on your program’s climate emissions for a QBR, or submitting a sustainability report with AASHE Stars, you can tap the data team to help you find the most impactful information for whatever project you have on hand.

At Carleton College in Northfield, MN, the team strives to meet their targets for Farm to Fork and COR commitments, so when they were asked to collaborate with the client’s sustainability team on the climate master plan for the campus, they had some work to do to identify a climate-related commitment they weren’t already meeting. “Beef purchasing jumped off the page as something we weren’t hitting as a Bon Appétit goal,” says General Manager Charlie Schwandt. “Writing that into the client’s plan felt like a tangible piece to push toward the school’s total emissions reduction goals.”

To present the climate data in a way that they could concisely explain to the client, they turned to Curt, who helped the team track a spike in beef purchases (it was attributed to steak on the menu during alumni weekend).

“Working with Curt’s team was like waving a magic wand to an extent,” says Charlie. “They taught us how to understand the numbers properly, so that we could consistently have clean reporting to show our efforts.” Carleton’s sustainability team was impressed with what they saw, and from there, student leaders collaborated with Reunion staff to tell the story to alumni about serving less beef on campus in service of meeting their emissions goals.

TELL YOUR STORY WITH DATA: At baseline, teams using the Dashboard to understand where your account stands in terms of compliance with our purchasing standards (and then making changes accordingly) can be hugely impactful, says Curt. And when you add in analysis from the plantforward, climate impact, and wellness tabs, it can add up to a valuable story to share, both internally and with clients and guests.

“When it comes to sustainability efforts, everyone’s behind them conceptually, but you achieve what you measure,” says Charlie. “And the Dashboard is a tool to measure progress. That’s a wonderful thing to be able to share with the client.”

Hop on the Tracking Train

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUILDING OUR FOOD WASTE TRACKING MOVEMENT

As a company, we’ve been fighting food waste for decades. Tracking is a huge part of that.

Tracking waste is one of the most impactful strategies we can implement to reduce waste and our environmental footprint, not to mention its impact on our financial margins.

To help accounts build their waste-tracking muscles, we recently got some advice from our teams who have successfully implemented regular use of Waste Not 2.0™ — here’s what they had to say.

Champs Rule

New programs need cheerleaders. At the Getty Center and Villa Museum, Executive Pastry Chef Joanne Ponvanit leads the food waste reduction efforts through Waste Not 2.0™. Because she’s been with the company since 2015, her institutional knowledge, consistent presence, and leadership of the program helps keep waste tracking top of mind for the team, says her boss, General Manager Sean Loeffel. Waste Not champions who drive the project and ensure that all staff are welcomed into the program can be integral to its long-term success.

Make it Fun!

At St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, Director of Operations Dylan Johnson likes to create a playful environment in the kitchens around tracking waste. He knows that logging the food you toss into the bin is not the most glamorous part of the job, and it can be hard to keep teams motivated. “If you don’t have fun with it, no one’s going to want to do it,” he says. “But if you build excitement and joke around with people, then you’re changing that culture and that mindset of ‘oh, this is another task I have to do today,’” he says.

Encourage Employee-Generated Solutions

A successful Waste Not 2.0™ program means that all staff feel ownership and are encouraged to find solutions that help incorporate the program into each kitchen’s unique operations. At the Getty, a grill cook noticed how fast his station filled their bin and offered to keep a paper log at the end of the line. From there, one person is assigned to input the data into the tablet. “It’s always important to get employees involved in solutions when you have a program,” says Joanne. “We want them to feel like it’s their program,” says Sean. “They are the ones who will push the impact forward.”

Stay Consistent

We’ve long relied on science and data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to inform our work on food waste prevention and reduction. In 2023, the EPA introduced their updated Wasted Food Scale (image above) — which evolved out of their Food Recovery Hierarchy. The scale prioritizes food waste prevention through carefully managing what is bought, prepared, and served, while doing everything possible to avoid food ending up in the landfill, down the drain, or off to incineration. It reflects the latest science, technology, and operational expertise for food waste management pathways. You can learn more about the Wasted Food Scale at epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/wasted-food-scale.

As with any new program, the way it becomes part of every employee’s daily routine is through consistency. “You have to be consistent in creating awareness and driving the commitment for the employees to do the task,” says Sean. Waste tracking is part of their ongoing conversations at “every team meeting, seven days a week,” he says. Chef Joanne has spent two years training, re-training, and reminding team members to stay on top of waste. The outcome is not only literal tons of waste reduced, but they’ve influenced many team members in understanding the environmental benefits of waste reduction, as well as worked with the Getty to pursue a stronger composting program, says Sean.

Share Stories of Impact

Teams at the Getty and St. Olaf both use data from Waste Not 2.0™ to motivate staff and create opportunities to workshop waste reduction strategies together. At St. Olaf, pulling data helps motivate managers to think creatively about how to change workflows to prevent waste in the first place, says Dylan.

And at the Getty, visuals from the Waste Not dashboard help to illuminate the volume of what gets wasted, such as showing “a visual for the employees that all the waste that we’ve been producing could fill an Olympic-size swimming pool,” says Sean. Using the metrics from the Waste Not dashboard helps underscore the impact we can have when we reduce waste.

Ultimately, the big-picture commitment to preventing and cutting down on food waste is what keeps these teams on task. So don’t be daunted! “It’s the right thing to do, it’s what we should be doing, stay on top of it and the data collects itself,” says Sean.

BY LEIGH BELANGER

Safety begins with mindfulness STAY SAFE Perspectives from the Field on Building a Great Safety Culture OUT THERE

In July 2019, a member of the Bon Appétit team at the Cleveland Museum of Art sustained an injury at work. That person’s well-being was impacted, which hurt morale across the board. The team moved quickly to cover scheduling and staffing, and the next day, they started anew on Day Zero, with a refreshed sense of purpose around keeping teams safe at work. Now, they’re celebrating over five years safe.

Many teams with robust safety records cite this sense of purpose as critical to their success. Here are some key insights our leaders have shared to help others stay safe at work.

Share Ownership

“Regardless of position or tenure, everyone owns a piece of the safety puzzle,” says Susan Davis, learning and development manager and a former GM at a large Midwest account. Different staff members teach different aspects of the safety program. “As you teach, you see things in a different way. That’s probably the greatest factor for our status,” she says. “As you teach, you’ll know the material better — you’ll own it,” Mark Daniels, director of integrated safety, adds. “When your lowest level associate has the expertise, that’s a good indicator of a successful program.”

“Everyone, from dishwasher or receiver to cooks and catering attendants, baristas, all need to feel like they can speak up and bring things forward up the chain,” says Marc Marelich, regional manager in the Northwest. Creating a space where everyone feels comfortable doing that, he says, “takes a lot of thoughtful conversation, one-on-one conversations, and providing opportunities for employees to speak up and speak to each other.”

Remember Why

“Safety begins with mindfulness,” says Susan. Breakroom posters can remind teams why safety is important. “We have people bring in pictures of their kids, their dogs, their boats,” she says. “We connect the safety program to the things they care about.”

Be Consistent

In the Seattle and Rockies region, RVP Michael Aquaro says an emphasis on making safety the number one priority of every manager’s job from the very beginning (including during the hiring process) and maintaining

that focus day in and day out has been an important factor in his region’s excellent safety record. “I’m super fortunate to have a stellar team who are the ones achieving these milestones,” says Michael. Their consistency has included regional safety calls, every Monday, for over a decade. “We never miss a Monday,” he says.

Apply Emotional Intelligence

“Being in tune where people are at emotionally — it’s been key to our success here,” says Mary Jo Arthur, general manager at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN. “We’re a pretty tight-knit group with a caring culture,” she says. If someone’s having a bad day, “we’ll keep them away from hot objects and sharp knives,” she says.

Leaders should build in time to do daily check-ins with staff to get a sense of how people are doing. “Knowing where team members are at and being able to manage in the moment, not just react can really avoid exacerbating certain situations,” says Michael.

Celebrate Wins

“We can be quick to correct, but not as quick to celebrate,” says Mark Daniels. Lifting up teams for safety wins both big and small is an important part of building morale along with that sense of shared ownership, he says. Marc Marelich agrees. His favorite way of handing out praise? “Call out employees in front of everyone,” he says. “Team meetings are great for that but it’s super-powerful outside of the those meetings. Do it in the middle of the kitchen, or during service,” he says.

At the Cleveland Museum of Art, the daily team meeting “concludes with positive feedback, encouragement, and anticipation for achieving our next safety milestone,” says Daneene Young, director of operations. And when teams hit big milestones or are on a long-standing streak, that should be “a big celebratory moment,” says Michael Aquaro.

Oh, about that They’ve been injury-free through:

Over 363,000 transactions in the café

49,617 covers in the restaurant

1,231 catered events

More than 5,200 trips to the dumpster and recycling bin

Approximately 13,840 deliveries to the loading dock

“What began as a challenging lesson has provided us with an invaluable opportunity to cultivate a stronger safety culture within our organization,” says Daneene.

In the end, says Mark Daniels, safety isn’t just a list of dos and don’ts. It’s a focus on people. “If we train and equip our teams with the right equipment and know-how, the IFRs will fix themselves,” he says. “If we focus on the people first, everything else will fall in line.” team at the

Cleveland Museum of Art.

LEFT TO RIGHT, FRONT ROW:

CHRISTINE KANOR, CATERING OPERATIONS MANAGER

RACHEL REDA, CATERING SALES MANAGER

LIBBY VARGO, SOUS CHEF

LEFT TO RIGHT, BACK ROW:

WILLIAM EVERETT, OPERATIONS MANAGER

DANEENE YOUNG, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

ALAINA O’NEILL, PASTRY CHEF

DOUGLAS KATZ, CHEF-PARTNER

JUSTIN PAPONETTI, EXECUTIVE CHEF

JOE PEREZ, GENERAL MANAGER RACHEL ROSEN, DIRECTOR OF CATERING SALES

FSecrets of a Successful Student Worker Program

BY WILLIAM PERSSON

OR SOME STUDENTS AT OUR EDUCATION ACCOUNTS, WORKING FOR BON APPÉTIT MANAGEMENT COMPANY

COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A LIFELONG CAREER.

From Senior Accountant Chih (Gigi) Wu and Vice President of IT Marcos Uechi to Fellow Mitchell Everetts and this writer, there’s long been a pipeline of student workers building their careers with Bon Appétit. But that must begin somewhere: a student worker program rooted in friendly, supportive relationships. According to Gigi, “I graduated from college not knowing what exactly was happening in the world. But the right people were in a position to help me, and I forged friendships and relationships with people I worked with who were supportive of me.”

Current Fellow Mitchell Everetts started working with Bon Appétit at Willamette University in Salem, OR, with a background working in restaurants and an interest in data and computer science. He was one of only five people working in Fall 2020 when he was tasked to collaborate with his brother Conor to improve the student worker program. Although they felt lucky to find students who wanted to work, they also sparked a buzz and developed systems that built upon their initial success to create a student worker program with about 65 student employees.

Here’s what Mitchell and Conor did:

1 » Instead of forcing a specific job type onto a student, they found out what students wanted to do and would be comfortable doing. They would start with simple tasks like prepping vegetables and help students evolve as their skills were sharpened.

2 » They actively recruited students when working as front-ofhouse supervisors. By working on the floor and not in the office, they were visible and were able to interact with students and even actively recruit new ones.

3 » They provided supervised training where they would work alongside Executive Chef Michael Palmer on knife skills and other aspects of kitchen safety. They would continue to work closely with a sous chef or chef supervisor to not only put their training into practice but continue to feel safe in the kitchen.

4

» Scheduling initially presented a big challenge, but Conor and Mitchell used their background in computer science to develop a scheduling app interface called Goudy Student Steward. “The first time I saw their scheduling app, I was highly impressed with everything about it. It was clear they were thoughtful every step of the way and had worked very hard to get it up and running,” says General Manager Eric Thomas. Supervisors and chefs would easily be able to view the schedules of students and adjust hours and job responsibilities for all other employees accordingly.

5 » They offered students benefits other campus departments could not: one free espresso beverage per week, shift meals, and discounts at the convenience store Blitz. Plus, there were clear paths of promotion and increased wages for student workers depending on performance.

But how does a successful student worker program turn an on-campus job into a career? That’s the secret only our team members can share. “People are always serving smiles to each other,” says Mitchell. “The restaurant industry can be toxic, but there’s something unique about Bon Appétit. The sense of family feels genuine.”

5 Ways Our Team Builds Successful Student Worker Programs

1.

They collaborate with the universities on recruitment and hiring.

2.

They meet students where they’re at and allow students’ interests to guide the hiring and placement process.

3.

They make the employment experience seamless, from onboarding to uniforms.

4. They offer perks others can’t, like free meals and C-Store discounts.

5. They create a great environment for students.

THE WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY STUDENT WORKERS, INCLUDING MITCHELL (FRONT ROW, 5TH FROM L) AND CONOR EVERETTS (FRONT ROW, 6TH FROM L)

MITCHELL (L) AND CONOR (R) WITH ERIC THOMAS, GENERAL MANAGER AT WILLAMETTE

HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY &

We’re a hospitable bunch at Bon Appétit — it’s in our DNA. Of course, hospitality includes great food, but at heart, it’s about making sure people feel seen. We know that food has the power to connect people and build community, so we strive to create inclusive, welcoming spaces where guests feel at home and relationships can flourish. The following stories show how we’re intentionally building hospitality efforts into our operations, and how we work with the communities we serve to celebrate and uplift all guests.

When Being Unreasonable is Right

BY JENNY SLAFKOSKY

Success can mean many things in the food and hospitality industry — having the “right” number of stars and the most effusive reviews on Yelp, sporting the trendiest décor, or cooking up the most Instagrammable menu items. But at its core, hospitality is about people and their experiences. “The human desire to be taken care of never goes away,” writes Will Guidara, restaurateur and author of the book Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.

As hospitality professionals, we have daily opportunities to impact a guest’s experience by demonstrating care in unexpected ways. Guidara’s idea of unreasonable hospitality — creatively and intentionally developing relationships with people and exceeding their expectations — is the inspiration for Benvenuti, Bon Appétit’s new self-guided hospitality training program.

“When I finished Will’s book, what stuck with me is that what we do each day is all about relationships, and it’s about how we make people feel,” says Carrie Buckley, vice president of Image & Style who created Benvenuti with Paula Nielsen, director of creative services. “Our people and our shared commitment to hospitality are just as foundational to who we are as our sustainability initiatives. With Benvenuti we’re really focusing on our people and the whole idea of what hospitality means to them.”

Making Hospitality Personal

All participants get a custom Benvenuti journal organized like a daily planner to feel timely and functional for busy operators. The journal includes thoughtful weekly prompts that encourage participants to define what hospitality means to them and then reflect throughout the week on how they can package up that sensibility and deliver it to our guests.

Journaling might not seem to fit into an operator’s busy life, but the tangible quality of the journal encourages each person to take time to pause and reflect — even if it’s just for a couple of minutes a day.

For Soyoung Jeong, sous chef at KKR , the Benvenuti journal has been both inspiring and grounding. “I love it, I’m using it every day,” she says. An avid organizer, the calendar-like format is helpful to keep her thoughts in order while reflecting on how to incorporate hospitality into her daily actions. “Every single day I have notes because I’ve been thinking about it: Who I appreciate, who is helping me. I keep that small stuff in my notes, and then I look back on it.” Reflecting on these elements helps her understand how the small seven-person team at KKR is functioning and gives her fodder to discuss with Chef Manager Arwi Odense.

“At the end of the day, the team experience affects our guest experience,” says Arwi. “We have to be respectful of each other first.” For Arwi, having something tangible and physical for his team to interact with is an important part of Benvenuti. It encourages a type of engagement and reflection that can be hard to convey at a daily meeting. He also wanted something fun, a way to get his team to connect on a personal level as well as around a shared purpose. Benvenuti fit the bill.

Going Big and Finding Purpose

While the KKR team is finding depth and opportunities to redefine hospitality for a small team, in the Southeast/Midwest, teams are embracing it as a region. Groups from different teams have been regularly meeting book club-style to talk through the prompts, says Robert Kasnekaw, regional project manager.

“We’re in our second round of book club with 12 to 14 people, and it really is amazing how it’s not cookie cutter from the first round to the second round,” he says. “I think that really has a lot to say about people’s unique experiences within the industry.” In Robert’s group, seasoned hospitality professionals are getting just as much out of Benvenuti as the employees in their first jobs in the industry. “Everybody’s journey is different, but our destination is the same in the spirit of hospitality,” he says.

Carrie Buckley agrees. She recently had the opportunity to speak to Will Guidara personally (a gift from one of her team members!). During their conversation, he asked how he could be of service to her. The sense of care and kind attention that he imparted with that question felt revolutionary — particularly in a time when caring for others can seem like an afterthought. She knows every Bon Appétiter can replicate that sense of being cared for, whether for guests or one another.

“I think hospitality starts internally,” she says. “We wouldn’t be in food service if we weren’t hospitable people. This industry draws a certain type of person into it, and we all need to remember that part of ourselves. We want to please one another, and we want to create environments where people feel heard.”

WOWS + Benvenuti = Hospitality for All

Win ‘em Over With Service (WOWS) is an action-oriented hospitality training program featuring interactive group activities designed to reinforce a culture that supports both our teams’ and our guests’ well-being and happiness.

Benvenuti (the Italian word for “Welcome”) is a self-guided hospitality learning program inspired by Will Guidara’s book Unreasonable Hospitality. Benvenuti is designed to help individuals create a personal connection to the concept of hospitality and reflect on how to bring that to guests with their colleagues.

Together, WOWS and Benvenuti offer teamoriented and self-reflective perspectives on hospitality, creating a holistic culture of care for Bon Appétit.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE TEAM EXPERIENCE AFFECTS OUR GUEST

Building Community and Connection, One Menu at a Time

BY LEIGH BELANGER

MBon Appétit is proud to work with those affinity groups on college and workplace campuses across the country, especially when it comes to collaborating on ways that those audiences can see themselves reflected in the menus we serve at heritage promotions and beyond.

At one national technology account, the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) echo the diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives of the company, with a focus on Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ+, and women’s groups, to name a few. National Project Coordinator Danie Bargaje acts as the liaison between the ERGs and Bon Appétit teams. In the last year, she’s been building close working relationships with representatives from each affinity group and collaborates with them on programming for company heritage dates throughout the year. She then streamlines the plan for the operations teams in every site, which may include food, beverage and/or ERG-provided information awareness highlights. “The goal is that whether you’re at a full on-site café and coffee bar service site or a catered-in model, the same heritage promotion will be happening, and everyone can be a part of the connecting cultural experiences,” she says.

“It can be a delicate dance,” says Danie. “We’re all about helping people connect and creating community. Our food programming is an obvious way to enhance that — and a big part of our program is amplifying [the ERGs’] voices through food,” she says. “But also, food

ANY OF OUR ACCOUNTS HAVE ACTIVE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT CREATE SPACES OF BELONGING BY CONNECTING UNDERREPRESENTED AND HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED STUDENTS OR EMPLOYEES AND ALLIES.

is personal. It’s an expression of culture, and it can be a big part of who you are as a person. If someone gets that expression wrong, it doesn’t feel good.”

To get ahead of misunderstandings or wellintentioned efforts that miss the mark, Danie emphasizes the importance of building close relationships with the ERG representatives. “These are close collaborations,” she says. “We have them review the menus, and if we’re doing something like a chef spotlight, we ask them to make a recommendation instead of us.” This intentionality is behind her desire to have “ERGs drive the events,” without having them make too heavy of a lift, she says. And in the end, these open conversations and collaborations make for more impactful events.

“I love hearing from people whose heritage we’re celebrating that the food reminds them of home,” she says. “They love walking into a café and seeing food that they grew up eating,” she says. “It’s meaningful to them.” Conversely, for folks who have never encountered the food of a specific culture, heritage events and meals can be a portal into getting to know and appreciate said culture. “Ultimately it goes back to that piece of education,” says Danie.

Culinarians Create a Two-Way Conversation

Food as an entry point into learning about other cultures is something that Emerson College culinarians explore in their Chef’s Table series. Bi-monthly meals, often tied to heritage events

or seasonal celebrations, give staff a chance to create dishes rooted in their own cultures and highlight those cultures and cuisines to students and co-workers alike.

For Black History Month, Executive Chef Alex Drumm highlighted peach and bourbon glazed pork spareribs, crispy cheddar hominy cake, succotash, and braised green beans with pork and pearl onions, a dish inspired by his family’s Southern history. And for Women’s History Month, Cook Wendy Montero shared a Dominican beef stew dish, paired with sweet plantains, white rice, and mixed vegetables. “This recipe has been in my family for generations,” she says. “My dad taught it to me when I was young, and now I’m passing it on to my own kids.”

The Chef’s Tables have been a huge success on a number of levels, says Resident District Manager Dawn Sajdyk. “It’s a great way to engage our staff who take great pride in the authentic flavors of where they are from, and for our other staff members to learn something from each other culturally,” she says. “And it gives everyone a chance to take center stage, build relationships and have that cultural exchange with the Emerson students and the community at large.”

TOP: A SESAME-COCONUT MEDLEY FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

BOTTOM: EMERSON COLLEGE COOK WENDY MONTERO WITH HER DISH FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

WELLNESS

Nourishing people goes far beyond calories and nutrients. For Bon Appétit, wellness means offering balanced choices, educating guests, and creating environments that support both physical and mental well-being. In our cafés and in collaboration with our team of nutrition experts, we design meals and events that nourish the communities we serve and the Earth we all share. In the coming pages, you’ll meet our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, learn more about our wellness philosophy, and see how we put it into action.

BY TERRI BROWNLEE, VP FOOD EDUCATION & WELLNESS

Has wellness become a loaded word? To answer this, let’s take a walk through time to examine the evolution of the (relatively) new science of human nutrition.

The concept of wellness emerged in the 1980s, focused on educating the public on eating to prevent disease. The result? The battle of good/bad foods began, and the public was beat up with guilt-inducing dietary rules of what (and what not) to do. Paired with the rise in chronic disease and obesity, so also began the blame game. Good health was framed as personal responsibility (read: poor health is due to personal laziness), critics blamed the food industry (super-sizes, processed foods, and all), and we all looked for an explanation.

Then entered the numbers game, with an overreliance on data and details framed as the only path to positive health outcomes. This left many consumers with the impression that no food choices could be made without an entire panel of nutrition facts. Take all of this and layer on the recent movement that’s made wellness more aspirational, and ultimately, wellness feels less accessible to all.

We must stop and ask: Where has it gotten us?

Some would say we’re worse off than when we started — that “wellness” has become a loaded concept, full of confusing messages; that it’s become exclusive and unattainable, wielding an endless cycle of judgment, shame, and guilt; that it labels some culturally significant foods as “bad” without recognizing the role they play in people’s cultures; that the idea of wellness provides a shield for disordered eating.

And we agree — many people have lost trust in their own ability to make decisions about what foods and eating patterns are best for them.

That vision is not the vision of wellness we support at Bon Appétit!

We’re here to challenge this model — often referred to as diet culture — in how we talk about wellness and execute our wellness initiatives. We want to engage with guests in more meaningful and impactful ways that leave them inspired and empowered in their personal wellness journey.

We believe that everyone deserves equitable access to foods that nourish their personal needs, and part of Bon Appétit’s Dream is to make sure that those foods also nourish the communities and the Earth that we all share.

So, what does this mean?

We’re shifting the way we approach our wellness programming and education. This will touch all aspects of our resources — internal, as well as client- and guest-facing. This is a large and complex project for our company and will take time!

In a nutshell — we’re shifting to a gentler wellness approach.

We’ll take a critical eye to all wellness resources to:

• Release diet-culture thinking and messaging

• Promote messages that empower people to make their own personal choices and intentionally and thoughtfully avoid messages that may trigger guilt or shame around food

We’re revamping our programming to engage with guests through:

• Immersive learning experiences

• Opportunities to enhance food literacy

• A focus on culinary nutrition, where we fuse our culinary expertise with our nutritional know-how

We’ll lean in on data where and when it matters most by continuing to enhance how we communicate around food allergies. We’ve already started working quietly on this journey and you’ll hear more about how we’re shifting in the coming months. We’re eager to roll out these changes in partnership with all of you in the field!

BE KIND TO YOURSELF TODAY’S WELLNESS MESSAGE:

Your Partners in Sustainability, Food Literacy, and Inclusivity

hen most people think about what a wellness team does, they think about nutritional advice or calorie counts. But at Bon Appétit, our team of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are culinary dietitians: food and nutrition experts who bridge the gap between our wellness and culinary efforts. Our dietitians connect people with the full journey of food — from how it’s grown to how it’s prepared — by fostering experiences with food to build knowledge that goes beyond nutrient facts. They inspire meaningful change through hands-on skills, equipping all guests with the confidence to choose, prepare, and enjoy food in ways that nourish both people and planet.

And, because at Bon Appétit we see wellness and sustainability as intertwined, our wellness people support our teams to serve nourishing, seasonal meals and uphold our commitment to advancing both sustainability and food literacy in our communities.

They do this (with the help of some fabulous nutrition assistants and diet techs) by collaborating with our culinary teams to pair the science of nutrition with hands-on culinary education.

A Holistic Approach from Local to National

Our dietitians support our teams directly and also inform our companywide policies. They:

Š Partner with teams to advise on engaging nutrition and wellness events in cafés, campuswide and virtually, to foster food literacy amongst guests and employees.

Š Work directly with guests to help them navigate our cafés while meeting their dietary needs.

Š Help create cafés with purpose, nudging food choices that are good for both people and planet.

Š Support our clients, wellness teams, and student or employee groups in meeting their wellness and sustainability goals.

Š Develop impactful educational campaigns inspiring and empowering guests on their personal wellness journey.

Three Ways to Tap into Our Dietitians’ Expertise

Our RDNs are credentialed experts in food and nutrition who have completed advanced educational requirements and are certified through the Commission on Dietetic Registration. They complete supervised practice, pass a national exam, and stay up to date with continuing professional education requirements. Here’s how you can work with them:

Š Food Allergies. Our RDNs are experts in helping all guests safely navigate our dining facilities, fostering open communication with our on-site culinary teams and assisting with dietary accommodations. Creating a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for guests with food allergies is one of our top priorities as a company, so don’t hesitate to loop them in.

Š Wellness Engagement. They can help you integrate more wellness engagement into your café. Whether you’re looking for a wellness plan or to blend wellness into promotions you’re already doing, our RDNs can help you create a robust program in your café.

Š Fresh Eyes. They’re here to help keep guests safe with a set of fresh eyes. Whether it’s doing a walkthrough of your café to identify areas of opportunity to accommodate guests, scanning menus to ensure our allergen naming protocols are in play, or talking through menu mix to encourage sustainable food choices, they’re a resource for you!

BY DAYNA MUNICH, RDN, LDN

Our dietitians seek to connect People with the full journey Of food.

All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians — and our RDNs are here to support, enhance, and bring your nutrition, wellness, and sustainability initiatives to the next level.

TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: ALLISON GREEN, RDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY; AMANDA SCHLINK, MS, RDN, WELLNESS COORDINATOR, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA; BARBARA ROSE, MSC, RDN, LDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, STONEHILL COLLEGE; CARA GIACCO, MS, RDN, LDN, MBA, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, UNION COLLEGE; DAN CONNOLLY, RDN, REGIONAL WELLNESS MANAGER; DANIELE ROSSNER, MS, RDN, REGIONAL WELLNESS MANAGER SECOND ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: DAYNA MUNICH, RDN, LDN, MANAGER OF WELLNESS SOLUTIONS; EDWARD CHO, DIET TECH SUPPORT, EMORY UNIVERSITY; EMILY WEIRUP, DIET TECH SUPPORT; JACLYN KIERNAN, MS, RDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, TRANSPORTATION TECH COMPANY; JAMIE KALOGEROS, RDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, EMORY UNIVERSITY; JENNA BERNARD, MS, RD, CPT, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, VASSAR COLLEGE THIRD ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: JESSICA PERRY, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD, MANAGER, WELLNESS AND FOOD ALLERGIES; KRISTINA TODINI, RDN, DIRECTOR OF FOOD EDUCATION; LEILAH ABSI, MS, RD, LD, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY; LESLIE MATHIASMEIER, MS, RDN, LD, REGIONAL WELLNESS MANAGER; LONDON BAKER, RDN, CSSD, REGIONAL WELLNESS MANAGER; LONDON GIBBS, DIET TECH SUPPORT, EMORY UNIVERSITY FOURTH ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: LORETTA DE GUZMAN, RDN, WELLNESS MANAGER, TRANSPORTATION TECH COMPANY; MADELINE MCDONOUGH, MS, RDN, LDN, WELLNESS MANAGER, ADOBE; MADELINE STEVENS, MS, RDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, UAIA; MARINA FELLA, MS, RDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, COLORADO COLLEGE; MELANIE BERDYCK, MS, RD, CSOWM, LDN, CDCES, REGIONAL WELLNESS MANAGER; MOLLY FLINT, NDTR, DIET TECH SUPPORT FIFTH ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: N’KEYMA LEE, RD, LDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN; PEYTON CAIN, RDN, WELLNESS MANAGER, PINTEREST; PINA BOATWRIGHT, MS, RD, LDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, MIT; PRECIOUS NWOKELEME, RDN, LDN, WELLNESS MANAGER, BUTLER UNIVERSITY; SARAH GOFF, RDN, WELLNESS MANAGER, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA; SUMIYA KHAN, MS, RDN, SENIOR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, SAMSUNG SSI SIXTH ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: TERRI BROWNLEE, MPH, RDN, LDN, VICE PRESIDENT, NUTRITION & WELLNESS; VICKY LEE, RDN, WELLNESS MANAGER, BAY AREA TECH COMPANY

ABOVE: EMERSON EXECUTIVE CHEF ALEX DRUMM (SECOND FROM LEFT) WITH STUDENTS AT THE ALLERGEN-FRIENDLY DINNER BELOW: ROASTED VEGETABLE RATATOUILLE AND YELLOW PEPPER BISQUE LINED UP FOR SERVICE!

ANDsimple delicious

“Thank you for dominating our tastebuds,”

said Emerson College students at the end of an allergen-friendly tasting dinner hosted by Bon Appétit. The 15 students at the dinner had various dietary restrictions, including avoidance of milk, eggs, and wheat/gluten. Executive Chef Alex Drumm curated a SimplyOASIS-style fine dining experience with five plated courses that had both omnivorous and vegan options.

Over the course of two hours, students bonded over their dining experience at Emerson, chatted with Resident District Manager Dawn Sajdyk, shared feedback, learned about allergen-friendly cooking, and more. Regional Nutrition and Wellness Manager Daniele Rossner, MS, RDN joined the event as well, sharing her expertise in and out of the kitchen. “It’s always a treat to connect with students,” says Daniele, “especially when I’m able to help those with allergies become more informed and confident when making food choices.”

The evening began with a self-serve charcuterie station, followed by two starters. First, a timbale of melon and cucumber carpaccio with ribboned prosciutto (or asparagus), watermelon-mint water, and aged balsamic. Second was a roasted tian of vegetable ratatouille, herb purée, Vin Cotto, tiny greens with fingerling potato chips, and yellow pepper bisque with charred scallion dust.

The entrée featured beef two ways: Pan-seared sirloin with black garlic and herbs and short rib of beef, savoy cabbage, a crispy layered potato stack, caramelized cippolini onions, braised baby vegetables, eggless béarnaise sauce, and beef demi-glace. Chef Alex also offered a vegan version with pan-seared, espresso dusted king mushrooms and truffled mushroom duxelles, savoy cabbage, crispy layered potato stack, caramelized cippolini onions, citrus braised baby vegetables, eggless béarnaise sauce, and warm white bean relish.

Chef Alex’s unique approach to beef served in two ways caught students by surprise when they realized the beef short rib was hidden — wrapped in a thin slice of savoy cabbage! The tasting was topped off with a unique dessert combo: butternut squash cannoli filled with vegan rice pudding, apple pomegranate compote, and a Granny Smith apple chip.

The purpose of this table talk was to bring students together who can connect over food practices and express their needs to Bon Appétit’s management team for an improved experience at our various dining locations. “It’s vital to understand how students with different dietary challenges can be accommodated and supported,” says Dawn. As for the students? “I want to be a part of this every time,” said sophomore Jayden Lopez at the end of the evening, happily fulfilled — and full.

WHAT IS SIMPLYOASIS?

SimplyOASIS is a solution to provide safe meals for most individuals with food allergies and intolerances in a fast and efficient way. Inspired by lessons learned during COVID-19, this streamlined service concept features meals prepared without the Top 9 allergens

(peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, sesame), and gluten, making SimplyOASIS accessible to people with a wide variety of dietary needs. Without dairy or egg, SimplyOASIS can also accommodate vegans when animal protein is an optional add-on.

Plant Power:

Growing A Revolution

BY LEIGH BELANGER

Will it Buffalo?

It’s a question to be asked.

ESPECIALLY AT BON APPÉTIT, AS TEAMS ADAPT THEIR MENUS TO PUT PLANTS CENTER STAGE. “BUFFALO IS A VERB,” SAYS TERRI BROWNLEE, VICE PRESIDENT OF FOOD EDUCATION AND WELLNESS AND ONE OF THE LEADERS OF OUR PLANT-FORWARD REVOLUTION.

Picture it: Brussels sprouts, roasted at high heat so their exteriors char and caramelize while the inside stays almost custardy, tossed with a Buffalo sauce and served with a side of tangy ranch dressing made from aquafaba (the cooking liquid from legumes like chickpeas). Dishes like this are just scratching the surface of the depth of innovation our chefs have been bringing to the table to meet Bon Appétit’s plant-forward goals.

Post-pandemic, we’ve been picking up steam on this effort, most notably in 2022 when we embarked on a series of plant-forward trainings and follow-up programs designed to give chefs the tools and the creative space they need to make the plant-forward magic happen in their kitchens. Eggplant bacon, anyone? When our chefs are fired up, there’s no telling where their creativity will take us as a company. Looking for more plant-forward inspiration? Keep reading to learn how some of our chefs get it done.

To grow a movement, first you need to plant a seed. Our teams need time and space to discover new ways to play with their food — specifically, their vegetables. In a series of plant-forward trainings held throughout the country last year, our culinarians did just that.

Chris Lenza, executive wellness team chef (and plant-forward pro) starts the trainings with a simple premise: Treat your vegetables with the same love, care, and respect you give your animal proteins.

From there, he walks participants through how to apply familiar techniques in new ways. “That’s the geek-out moment for chefs,” says Joe Dougherty, executive chef at the University of Portland . From transforming squash, eggplant, and countless other vegetables into house-made, plant-based bacon, to marinating, pickling, or brining produce to introduce layers of flavors and textures, attendees left inspired to take the ideas back to their kitchens. “It was awesome,” says Art Ishman, executive chef at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. “The trainings really opened my eyes.”

Below, our chefs elaborate on the different techniques they use to keep plant-forward cooking fresh.

BLEND: “I could go on for days about blending,” says Chris Lenza. “From adding color and flavors, to introducing plant-forward ideas to folks who just want a meatloaf with beef, blending is your segue.”

At Furman University in Greenville, SC, Executive Chef Gustavo Sanchez Salazar keeps a focus on an 80/20 vegetable-to-meat balance in many of his dishes. “I don’t want to force my students to eat vegetables only,” he says. His fritters and croquettes are one part meat and three parts grains (like quinoa) and minced vegetables. “Blending makes your average fritter or hush puppy taste a little different, and we add vegetables that maybe the students haven’t tasted before,” he says.

PICKLE: “Pickling is one of my favorite techniques,” says Matthew Jones, general manager at Birmingham Protective Life in Alabama. “I like to steam or blanch vegetables, then shock them in a cold pickling liquid,” he says. Carrots, radishes, ramps, asparagus, red onion, and mushrooms all transform beautifully into pickles, he adds. “People are like, ‘I’ve never had a pickled mushroom,’ but when they taste them — oh, man. They’re freaking amazing.”

BRINE: At Edwards Life Sciences in Irvine, CA, Senior Executive Chef Jon Sodini dunks whole heads of cauliflower in a brine accented with bay leaves and oranges. These flavors permeate the brassicas, and the brine helps it hold its shape better when slicing into steaks and searing.

CURE AND COMPRESS: During the plant-forward trainings, teams competed in the “Battle of the Bacon” to see who could make the best plant-based bacon. Many cures occurred! A light cure and a few minutes in the smoker, followed by some time pressed under a weight transformed carrots, eggplant, sweet potato, squash, and other vegetables into sides that could stand up to the most delightfully chewy, crispy, salty-sweet pork bacon.

MARINATE: Most chefs think nothing of giving skirt steak or chicken a bath in an herbflecked, garlicky marinade. But vegetables? Most definitely, says Chris Lenza. “Taking the time to develop a robust, umami-forward marinade, and using that with your red potatoes, for example — it’s going to create excitement,” he says. “It’s going to sit with someone and make them think about that roasted potato in a different way.”

RYAN GARALDE, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY, AT THE PNW PLANT-FORWARD TRAINING

MEDITERRANEAN HUMMUS BOWL WITH ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES, ROMANESCO, MUSHROOMS, AND POMEGRANATE

Once the seeds of a movement are planted, they need to grow — and spread. For our culinary leaders, this means inspiring their staff to dig into the world of plant-based cooking. “It’s a huge opportunity for chefs to get creative,” says Terri Brownlee. “The world of plants is so broad and deep and rich that really, the possibilities are endless.”

Chefs and managers work to bring that sense of excitement and possibility back to their kitchens — and often, it’s reflected at them by staff whose cultural or dietary backgrounds make them familiar with plant-forward cooking, or by those who are naturally curious and experimental. Other times, it takes consistent effort in training and education to keep teams on point. Here are some of our chefs’ tips for training and empowering their teams to take on plant-forward cuisine.

TELL THE STORY: Bon Appétit’s sustainability and wellness missions have been attracting team members to the company for almost 40 years. For many leaders in the field, telling our story has been a simple way to motivate and inspire staff. “I have a lot of fun with the story of what we do and how important it is. It’s helped people care and feel part of the big picture, that there’s more to it than just cooking food,” says Kimberly Triplett, culinary director, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC.

EMPOWER YOUR STAFF: “Not everyone can step into the walk-in and do an episode of ‘Chopped,’” says Joe Dougherty from the University of Portland. “But we have a cool thing going on that’s collaborative,” he says. “I involve my chefs in the menu making process,” he says. “I empower them to try — and if you can get them into it, you know the food is going to be good.”

“I like to brew the Kool-Aid,” says Jon Sodini at Edwards Life Sciences. “I explain the process and do a lot of talking, overtalking, training, teaching, and tasting alongside the cooks,” he says. “When it’s working and people are doing well, I give a lot of praise.”

TAP THEIR EXPERTISE: “I’m super into eggplant right now,” says Paul Rosquita, executive chef at the Gates Foundation in Seattle. “And a big part of that was talking to Mohammed, my steward, who’s Egyptian and has tons of ideas for different things to do with it.” Rosquita’s staff from The Republic of Congo and Mexico have also shared ideas from their cultures. Managers also recommend strategic hiring. “One of our cooks is vegetarian/vegan. She works with the chef on things she likes to cook, and it works out great,” says Matthew Jones at Birmingham Protective Life.

ERIC BATTLES, GENERAL MANAGER AT STARBUCKS SODO KITCHEN, AT THE PNW PLANT-FORWARD TRAINING

BEYOND CHORIZO TOSTADAS WITH CHIPOTLE BLACK BEANS, PICO DE GALLO, CANDIED JALEPENOS, CILANTRO, VEGAN SOUR CREAM

As we continue to spread the plant-forward love, teams are getting feedback, tweaking their approach based on what they’re hearing, and eventually getting more people excited about eating their vegetables. It’s not always a slam-dunk, as food choices are personal, people know what they like, and some are devoted to their daily meat-and-three.

A growing chorus of diners, especially at education accounts, is asking for more vegan and vegetarian options. Other guests need to taste it to believe it. “I love changing people’s minds about food,” says Jon Sodini, explaining how he slices okra in half vertically and roasts it on high heat to get it crispy, turning okra’s slippery reputation on its head.

Here are some tips our chefs shared for turning their guests on to a plant-forward way of eating.

STEALTH-HEALTH IT: “If you call it vegan, they will not touch it,” says Suzanne Scalfaro, chef-manager at CBRE-Siemens (pictured, above). She gets creative with menu description for the “meat and potatoes people” at her account. Alongside her enormous salad bar stuffed with local produce of all kinds, Suzanne emphasizes salmon and chicken over beef and pork, “rather than push out the animal proteins altogether.”

LONG LIVE ROYGBIV: At Starbucks in Seattle, SODO Kitchen General Manager Eric Battles focuses on color, texture, and temperature — and finds ways to contrast those elements on every plate. Cooking with color feels particularly impactful at his account, he says. “Anytime the plants on the plate are bright, vibrant, composed in any way — we see more traffic,” he says. “And we get more feedback when the salad bar is particularly bright.”

KEEP IT GUEST-CENTRIC: “College students,” says Joe Dougherty, “are not going to stop eating crispy chicken fingers. We think about how we can make it about them and about Bon Appétit’s mission at the same time.” To that end, he says, they’ll shrink the portion of chicken and add an interesting salad or composed vegetable alongside. One concept that works well at the University of Portland, he says, is a bao bar, where small buns just so happen to fit less meat, with plenty of fun plant-forward fillings to join the fun.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING: Consider timing when launching a new station or program, says Grant Ruesch, executive chef at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, CO. “Sometimes it’s hard in the middle of the semester to launch new things,” he says. “You don’t want them to feel like you’re taking something away — if they feel that way, they might be hesitant to try something new,” he says. Instead, Grant uses the quieter summer months to brainstorm new plant-forward ideas. He’ll launch those “in the fall, when you have a new class with first years who are all on the meal plan,” he says. “Catch them in the beginning and then that’s all they know.”

TELL THE STORY (AGAIN): “Education is huge,” says Nick Walker, director of operations at Emory University in Atlanta. “You’ve got to get in front of it, tell your story about carbon footprint, about nutrition,” he says. “Being able to communicate with students and faculty and get buy-in so you can push your program is really important,” he says.

FINALLY, SPREAD THE LOVE: “If you love what you do, and you love being creative, plant-forward is the way to go,” says Art Ishman at Case Western.

On that note, if you want in on the trainings, they’re still being offered, so reach out to the Wellness team to get the ball rolling. How can you continue to collaborate and build camaraderie around the plant-forward initiative? Collaboration can happen in lots of ways, says Toby Pace, executive chef at Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, NC, and Transylvania University in Lexington, KY. He holds regular plant-forward calls within his district for teams to collaborate and inspire one another and “talk about what we can do to increase the plant-forward stamp in our units,” he says.

Hats off to our operators, who are constantly working to bring the plant-forward dream to life in their cafés, with creativity, experimentation, and love. Cheers to you — and to plants!

SUZANNE SCALFARO AT THE PNW PLANT-FORWARD TRAINING

? LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THESE GORGEOUS DISHES FROM TEAMS ALL

OVER THE COUNTRY.

JACKFRUIT TOFU IM

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

JACKFRUIT CARNITAS WITH COCONUT ‘CHEESE’ SAUCE, NORTHWEST PLANTFORWARD TRAINING

NOODLES IN BROTH WITH TOFU AND SHIITAKE, NORTHWEST PLANTFORWARD TRAINING

SOUTHERN-STYLE JACKFRUIT “CRAB” CAKES WITH SILKEN TOFU REMOULADE, NORTHWEST PLANT-FORWARD TRAINING

SMASHED CHICKPEA FOCACCIA WITH KALE PESTO, PEPITAS, AND GRILLED ARTICHOKE HEARTS, WHITMAN COLLEGE

BREAKFAST GRIT BOWL WITH HOUSEMADE SWEET POTATO-IMPOSSIBLE CHORIZO, OAT MILK STEWED SILKEN TOFU AND PINTO BEAN SAUCE, CRISPY TORTILLAS, AND AVOCADO, NORTHWEST PLANT-FORWARD TRAINING

IMPOSSIBLE LARB STUFFED KABOCHA SQUASH SERVED WITH A THAI-INSPIRED HOLY TRINITY TOFU SAUCE, NORTHWEST PLANT-FORWARD TRAINING

IMPOSSIBLE

CHICKPEA POSSIBLE

JACKFRUIT

LITERACY

FOOD

We believe food choices matter. To that end, understanding where food comes from, how to prepare it, and the cultural meaning behind many foods is a source of empowerment for our guests to make purposeful choices. Through transparent sourcing, engaging educational initiatives, and storytelling, we set our teams and guests alike on a food literacy journey, helping them to make informed decisions about what they eat. The stories that follow dive deeper into our food literacy efforts and shine a light on some of the initiatives and collaborations our teams are executing.

BY TERRI BROWNLEE, VP FOOD EDUCATION & WELLNESS

to socially responsible practices. We are culture driven to create food that is with flavor and nutrition, prepared from scratch using authentic ingredients. We do this in a socially responsible manner for the wellbeing of our guests, and the

What We Mean When We Talk About Food Literacy at Bon Appétit

At Bon Appétit, our Dream promises that we provide “food that is alive with flavor and nutrition... for the well-being of our guests, communities, and the environment.” As I think about what this means in practice, ensuring that we do all we can to foster a well-informed relationship with food among our teams and guests is a core part of my vision.

Whether we’re training teams on plant-forward cuisine or food allergies or helping guests identify a piece of uncommon produce or to prepare a vinaigrette, we’re boosting food literacy. When we’re working with guests to identify foods that meet their personal, religious, or cultural diets (along with food allergy and intolerance needs), we’re also boosting food literacy. It’s part of everything we do. So, what does it mean, and what does that commitment look like in the day-to-day?

AN EXTENSION OF OUR DREAM

Food literacy at our company is more than knowledge; it’s an extension of our Dream. It’s a commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of food and its impact across society. Strengthening our teams’ know-how so we can all set guests on the path to food literacy means empowering teams to transmit their expertise to those who dine with us. In turn, this equips guests with the insight, skills, and values needed to make meaningful food choices that enhance personal health, community well-being, and environmental stewardship.

Of course, achieving the ripple effect of food literacy requires that our team members are well-equipped to drive our mission. We want you to be empowered with the knowledge and experience you need to transmit your expertise to our guests. As the experts and operators, you’re doing the hands-on work to shape how we design our menus and prepare our food, how we engage with guests and how we create experiences that place our food offerings in context.

OUR DREAM

is to be the premier on-site restaurant company known for its culinary expertise and commitment to socially responsible practices. We are a culture driven to create food that is alive with flavor and nutrition, prepared from scratch using authentic ingredients. We do this in a socially responsible manner for the well-being of our guests, communities, and the environment.

We see that spirit of lifelong learning and exchange built into the four pillars of our commitment to food literacy. Those pillars are:

ONE BUILDING CULINARY CONFIDENCE

As culinary professionals, we prepare flavorful, high-quality meals centered on fresh ingredients and culturally authentic techniques. We aim to equip guests with those same skills.

TWO NOURISHING WELL-BEING

Our teams foster informed food choices that promote individual health and align with guests’ wellness goals.

THREE EMBRACING SUSTAINABILITY

Our culinary and wellness teams help guests make intentional food choices that positively impact the environment and reinforce our dedication to sustainable food systems.

BRINGING FOOD LITERACY TO LIFE

FOUR

FOSTERING COMMUNITY

We encourage building connections through food, cooking, and learning that strengthen community bonds and enrich our shared dining experience.

Bringing these pillars to life every day is part of all our jobs here at Bon Appétit. Our dietitians and wellness team members inspire meaningful change through teaching hands-on skills that equip guests with the confidence to choose, prepare, and enjoy food in ways that nourish both people and planet. The food our chefs create inspires curiosity about where ingredients come from, how to develop culinary skills, and how cuisines evolve. And our welcoming cafés, with their meals, workshops, and other food-focused activities, create spaces that build community, learning, and cultural exchange.

This commitment to fostering literacy is intentional, ongoing work that can also be really fun! And it’s fundamental to who we are as a company that cares deeply about people and the planet we all share.

Thank you for all you do to carry out our shared mission!

Terri

A Pinch of Learning, A Dash of Fun

Encouraging Food Literacy Through

Teaching

Kitchens

BY ALLY PADRICK

FOOD

literacy is about knowing where your food comes from, but it’s also about empowering people with the skills and confidence to cook, explore, and engage with food in a meaningful way outside of our cafés. One way Bon Appétit does that is through our teaching kitchens.

These hands-on, chef-led experiences break down barriers, foster connection, and prove that food education doesn’t have to be intimidating. Instead, our guests have fun, interactive, and rewarding experiences. From robust programs with dedicated teams to grassroots word-of-mouth success, teaching kitchens are a piece of our customized overall approach to food service. But what does it take to operate one successfully?

BRINGING FOOD LITERACY TO LIFE

A well-executed teaching kitchen event must engage guests in active learning, giving them practical skills they can use in their daily lives. Curriculums like making baked goods, mastering basic knife skills, or understanding the fundamentals of fermenting demystify cooking and make these principles accessible to all.

At a large technology company in Silicon Valley, teaching kitchens are an integral part of workplace culture, says Kitami Lentz, director of culinary development. With 15 dedicated teaching kitchens and teams offering

up to 30 classes per week, they offer a range of events, from skill-building workshops that dive into the art of hand-rolled pasta to guest-led Food Talks featuring industry leaders such as Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Each teaching kitchen operates differently based on space, audience, and company culture. But they share the common goal of making food literacy approachable. And while these featured accounts benefit from dedicated spaces, impactful events can happen anywhere — with a bit of creativity, existing cafés, kitchens, and event spaces can be transformed into hubs for culinary connection and learning.

At Genentech, teaching kitchens have been part of the program’s DNA for nearly two decades. What started with small cooking demos has evolved into a well-loved program that covers everything from DIY dressings to arranging centerpieces with a local florist, growing primarily through word-of-mouth and monthly behind-the-scenes kitchen tours that generate excitement and curiosity.

And at Adobe, the program has undergone multiple iterations since its inception in 2017. Initially designed with the hope of creating a new revenue stream, it has since pivoted toward building connections among

TEACHING KITCHEN EXECUTIVE

CHEF B.B. HUFF IN ACTION AT A SILICON VALLEY TECH COMPANY

teams. Their “Teams in the Kitchen” initiative has evolved into a sought-after experience, with Bon Appétit delivering dozens of events each year across their multiple locations.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Quaker Kitchen is a demo space that doubles as a café, so they can offer weekly culinary sessions like a pickling lesson as well as a high-end, open-kitchen style dinner experience for up to 250 students four nights a week. Another unique facet of their programming includes a Culinary Medicine segment borne out of medical students’ desire to promote generalized health in addition to medicine. “This collaboration,” says Executive Chef Lucio Palazzo, “provides students with more confidence to explore the intersection of food and medicine.”

PROVIDING VALUE FOR OUR CLIENTS

For our clients — whether at major tech campuses or institutional settings — teaching kitchens are more than just an engaging perk for employees. They’re a strategic tool that strengthens workplace culture, enhances employee and student satisfaction, and reinforces our mutual commitment to sustainability and wellness.

SENIOR TEACHING KITCHEN EXECUTIVE CHEF DEDE SAMPSON TEACHING COOKIE-MAKING AT A SILICON VALLEY TECH COMPANY

HAPPY STUDENTS IN THE QUAKER KITCHEN AT PENN

Indigenous Foodways Make a Splash at Whitman College

BY LEIGH BELANGER

MEMBERS OF THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION (CTUIR) NEAR WALLA WALLA, WA, RECENTLY GATHERED IN THEIR LONGHOUSE FOR A FEAST AND CEREMONY HONORING WILD CELERY.

Known to the tribes as latit latit, the celery is the first edible plant to return to the region after the winter thaw, occupying a special place in the seasonal round of ingredients that the tribes hunt, fish, and gather throughout the course of the year. The celery is foraged in the days leading up to the ceremony, then prepared to be shared among tribal members with gratitude for its return. This particular celery root can be eaten fresh, boiled, roasted, or dried while the stems and greens can be used for flavoring.

The latit latit feast took place at the CTUIR longhouse, but CTUIR member Jeanine Gordon, Special Assistant to the President for Native American Outreach at Whitman College, is bringing lessons of Indigenous foods to the college with the goal of raising awareness and visibility around Indigenous culture among Whitman’s students and staff. The awareness and visibility will help build a welcoming and supportive environment for Native students, says Jeanine. CTUIR includes the Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Cayuse tribes, on whose Native land Whitman sits.

In a collaboration between Bon Appétit and the Native American Outreach office, Whitman has launched a First Foods station in Cleveland Commons, the main campus dining hall that is also open to the public. The celebration of Indigenous cuisine is featured on the first Friday of the month, and so far, the response has been hugely positive, says Shannon Null, Bon Appétit’s general manager at Whitman.

Long Lines, New Flavors

During launch of the station this past winter, crowds of guests, both students and members of the public, lined up in Cleveland Commons to get a taste of smoked rainbow trout, roasted elk, root vegetables, and house-made frybread with huckleberry jam. “The students are loving it,” says Shannon. On the whole, they’re an open-minded group when it comes to trying new foods, she says, but many of them have never tried elk (a favorite, especially with protein-seeking athletes) or some of the other offerings. Shannon’s been receiving comment cards and emails asking for more First Foods, she says. “It’s awesome that they get to experience that and get culture along with it,” says Jeanine.

“Word is spreading like crazy,” says Jeanine. The program made the front page of the local newspaper and was featured on the local NPR affiliate.

A local culinary school reached out to Bon Appétit and set up a time to shadow in the kitchen to taste, identify, and learn to cook First Foods like elk, venison, root vegetable mash, and frybread. Earlier in the spring, a group from Washington State University traveled over to Walla Walla for a catered First Foods meal.

On Bon Appétit’s end, careful planning goes into sourcing, preparation, and presentation for the monthly station. Drawing from educational resources provided by CTUIR, the station will feature ingredients that reflect the ‘úyit hípt, úyit tkwátat (First Foods) of the regional Native tribes, such as salmon, game, roots, and berries.

Signage at the station is in English as well as in the Native languages of the Weyíiletpuu and Imatalamłáma, the Cayuse/Nez Perce people and the Umatilla people. Whitman has partnered with CTUIR member Kristen Parr, language program archival specialist, and Althea Wolf, CTUIR member and Whitman College adjunct professor, to help inform their efforts.

One Piece of a Bigger Picture

Educational components introduce guests to the foodways of the CTUIR, sharing information about sustainability, the concept of the seasonal round which indicates when the tribes hunt, fish, and gather certain foods throughout the year. Other information to be shared will include CTUIR’s land management practices and climate action plan that supports responsible management, protection, and cultivation of Native foods.

The First Foods project is just one part of an overall effort for raising visibility and awareness of CTUIR’s culture and presence in the area, she says. The campus-wide efforts through the Native American Outreach office also include an annual First Foods Festival with workshops, panels, and film screenings. And as the growing season gets underway, plans are coming together to plant a First Foods garden on campus, as well.

“I am so excited that Bon Appétit was eager to support the effort to bring awareness, education, and experience of our tribal culture to a higher level at Whitman College,” says Jeanine. So far, “it’s been very successful in terms of the intent for increasing visibility and culture of CTUIR on campus.”

CROWDS LINE UP FOR A TASTE OF FIRST FOODS AT THE STATION LAUNCH ( PHOTO CREDIT: KAITLIN MOOR)

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is a core value at Bon Appétit, not a side project. From pioneering local sourcing standards to fighting food waste and advocating for animal welfare. We work with like-minded partners to push the boundaries of what sustainable food service can look like, from food recovery to prioritizing climate-friendly purchasing. Read more about the lengths we go to create food service for a sustainable future in the next few stories.

IT WAS THE LATE 1990S. GOOGLE WAS A STARTUP, FINE DINING WAS AWASH IN FOAM, AND AI WASN’T A THING. NEITHER WAS THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD MOVEMENT, OR AT LEAST, NOT AS WE KNOW IT TODAY. BUT A PIVOTAL SHIFT WAS COMING, LED BY A COALITION OF ADVOCATES WITH ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS ABOUT THE INDUSTRIALIZATION OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM.

BY PETER TODARO

Among them? Bon Appétit Management Company’s chefs and leaders, whose pursuit of flavor was becoming a crisis of flavor. Alongside CEO Fedele Bauccio and company leadership, Bon Appétit’s chefs and managers created Farm to Fork, our groundbreaking sourcing program born out of the resolve to serve our guests the most flavorful food we could get our hands on. “Serving food that was authentic, fresh, and cooked by great chefs was how I wanted to disrupt this industry,” says Fedele.

The sweet, juicy, sun-ripened summer fruits Fedele and others had grown up on had been slowly replaced over the years by their hard and mealy counterparts — we see you, Red not-Delicious apple — bred to look shiny and ripe in grocery displays after traveling long distances. As a company focused on disrupting the soggy steam table paradigm of corporate cafeterias, this was objectionable. Fresh food, alive with flavor, was meant to be our starting point, so we set out to find it.

And find it we did — on local farms near the cafés we operated. “Our chefs really stepped up to work with the local farmers and communities,” says Fedele. “We gave them a roadmap, but they were the ones that really drove the program to its success.” Still, capturing local flavor was harder than it sounds. But the pursuit accelerated Bon Appétit’s development as the standard-bearer for corporate sustainability in the food industry.

THE SEEDS OF OUR DREAM

For Fedele, sourcing local food spoke to the core of the Bon Appétit Dream. Changing how we purchased food had the potential to transform an industry. So, he went for it. To put clear operational guidelines in place, Fedele and Bon Appétit leadership listened to our teams across the country share what was important to them about sourcing. Again and again, they heard from operators excited by the ability to purchase beautiful, seasonal, delicious food, and by the opportunity to build relationships with farmers and the communities where they worked.

Everyone recognized the importance of purchasing from farms that truly embodied the ethos of small and local, so Bon Appétit leaders outlined a series of parameters for a new companywide local sourcing commitment. Chefs would purchase 20% of their ingredients from farms that were small (under five million dollars in annual revenue), owner-operated, and local in the true sense of the word (within 150 miles of a particular café). Fedele’s guidance to chefs at the time: “Don’t look at an order sheet, go to the farmers’ market!”

PHOTO COPYRIGHT FROG HOLLOW FARM/MELISSA MCFADDEN

GROWING A MOVEMENT

Teams ran with the new program, building enduring relationships with vendors along the way. “I still receive birthday and holiday cards from Vegetable Basket — the first vendor we signed up at Case Western Reserve University,” says Randy De Mers, former regional vice president. “The business has now been passed to the original farmer’s son and daughter-in-law, and we still purchase potatoes from them to this day!”

In 2005, inspired by the burgeoning local food movement, we held our first ever Eat Local Challenge — a beloved annual event where Bon Appétiters across the country prepare meals from 100% locally sourced ingredients. This year, we’ll host our 20th Eat Local Challenge, once again bringing guests into closer contact with their local food system and challenging our chefs to think intentionally about putting local flavor on their menus.

EXPANDING THE SPIRIT OF FARM TO FORK: 2009-2019

Early on, Bon Appétit leaders recognized that relationships were critical to Farm to Fork’s success. They committed to enrolling 1,000 Farm to Fork vendors by 2010 and simultaneously launched the Foragers program, appointing chefs throughout the country, who were (and still are!) tasked with enrolling and building relationships with small-scale farmers and food producers in their regions. “It’s important to shake the hand,” says Vincent Gaikens, a chef and forager at Case Western. “I want the farmer to know they’re a part of our community.”

As the company grew along with the number of enrolled vendors, program leaders looked for ways to expand and diversify the types of producers with shared values to join the program. The Midsize Humane category was added in 2011 to support operations such as midsize poultry and hog farms, cattle ranches, and dairies that meet a stringent set of criteria, including third-party animal welfare certification (by either Animal Welfare Approved, Food Alliance, Humane Farm Animal Care, or Global Animal Partnership). It also helped meet our growing company’s demand for ethically raised animal protein.

That year also saw the development of Fish to Fork — outlining what “local” and “small-scale” mean for both wild and farmed seafood while elevating flavorful and abundant under-utilized species. We added artisanal products in 2014 through a new category called Locally Crafted, highlighting items made in traditional ways or businesses with a focus on uplifting their communities.

In the early days, chefs and managers often paid cash for produce and received paper receipts at the farmers’ market, says Theresa Chester, vice president of purchasing. “To see how the program has grown and how we’ve structured it for integrity is just astounding,” she says, describing spending weekends at the farmers’ market when she was in operations in the early 2000s. “You’d go to the farmers’ market, and whatever was there formed the basis of your menus that week.”

When Farm to Fork was born in 1999, it made Bon Appétit the first food service company to formalize a commitment to local sourcing, while setting the stage for decades of sustainability leadership.

All these developments further embedded Bon Appétit teams in their communities, as our institutional purchasing power has been a source of support for many enrolled vendors over the years. “The enrollment process is the pathway to success in the program,” explains Theresa Chester, “because it creates a network of knowledge between accounts. When all accounts in a region are using the same vendors, it can really help the farmers grow.”

And the vendor mix has allowed teams to diversify their Farm to Fork spend, as we learned from our recently published white paper (see QR code on page 76 for the link). For instance, regions with a shorter growing season might work with more baked goods or coffee vendors to fill the gap in the leaner months for produce.

Throughout the program’s development, Bon Appétit always strove to ensure Farm to Fork remained true to its early goals: focusing on flavorful ingredients and the producers who grew, made, or harvested them, and supporting local food systems from the ground up.

POINT REYES FARMSTEAD CHEESE

and

A & J ORCHARDS

Pacific Northwest teams showcase 20 years of collaboration with A&J Orchards, a generational family farm.

Farm to Fork has yielded long-term partnerships with farmers, artisans, and food hubs across the country. Read more about just a few of our nationwide partnerships by scanning the QR codes.

The Sato family creates beautiful fresh tofu using traditional Japanese methods.

MEIJI TOFU

This farm

creamery is owned by a trio of sisters who took the family dairy business in a new and delicious direction.

COMPANY

Wagon Coffee Roasters is a women-owned coffee roaster focused on employing and empowering women in recovery.

WAGON COFFEE

GRAZIE MILLE

CAMPUS FARMS

Teams at Carleton College and St. Olaf College celebrate their campus farms, which are living laboratories for education and sustainability.

NEW CREATION FARM

A long-term Bon Appétit partnership that feels like family.

RED’S BEST

This dockside Fish to Fork vendor aggregates local and sustainable seafood from over 1,000 fishermen in New England.

COMMON MARKET

With roots in Philadelphia, Common Market has grown alongside Bon Appétit to a network of regional food hubs in Atlanta, Houston, and Chicago.

Bon Appétit and Emory University show how values-driven purchasing can help a small farmer scale into new categories.

The Roger Williams team shares the art and science of a successful Farm to Fork program.

ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY

PRIDE ROAD

PUSHING FORWARD: 2019-PRESENT

At its quarter-century mark, the Farm to Fork program is core to Bon Appétit’s identity. Now with over 1,700 enrolled vendors and counting, it’s helped support the local food movement, attracted talent to the company, and been an inspiration for countless other businesses.

As we look ahead to the next 25 years, we’re confident in Farm to Fork’s foundational role in our company as local and regional food systems become increasingly important.

Increasing supplier diversity is a current focus. “We’ve been looking at our BIPOC-, women-, and LGBTQIA-owned vendors and seeing how we can better support them,” says Shira Kaufman, a Farm to Fork specialist on Bon Appétit’s purchasing team.

And the successful decentralized model of empowering teams to recruit potential vendors in their regions extends to diverse suppliers. “We’ve had a lot of emphasis on diverse suppliers on the unit level,” says Shira, telling the story of a BIPOC-owned coffee company that will soon finalize its enrollment and become a preferred vendor in a longstanding education account. “I’m seeing more of that story unfold.”

It’s a story we’re grateful to be part of. “Embracing our local farmers and artisans is more important than ever before,” says Fedele. “They’re critical to the future and are deeply important to our chefs and the communities we serve.”

Synthesizing 25 Years of Farm to Fork Expertise

“Sowing Success: Local Food Purchasing Insights from 25 Years of the Farm to Fork Program” gathers key takeaways from 25 years of Bon Appétit Management Company’s experience sourcing local food from small farmers, ranchers, and food artisans. From chef engagement to diversified spend, we share insight into the building blocks of a successful Farm to Fork program. Use the QR code to access the white paper and learn more.

FURMAN UNIVERSITY FARM MANAGER BRUCE ADAMS (PHOTO CREDIT: NATHAN GRAY)

GRAZIE MILLE

EMBRACING OUR LOCAL FARMERS AND ARTISANS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE.

EMBRACING OUR LOCAL FARMERS AND ARTISANS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE.

Dairy Dilemmas:

How We Source Dairy from Local Producers

BY PETER TODARO

This year, the plant-based milk market is estimated to reach nearly $3B, climbing to 15% of fluid milk dollar sales. While oat, soy, flax, and almond milks abound, dairy milk continues to enjoy the lion’s share of the market — and our guests’ appetites.

Dairy milk remains a staple in most Bon Appétit cafés and represents a significant source of potential year-round spend from Farm to Fork (F2F), our local sourcing program. As such, it’s worth unpacking the criticisms lobbed in dairy milk’s direction, why sourcing local dairy products might be more important than you think, and the practical steps our teams take to do just that.

Setting the Stage

While agriculture in the United States has skewed toward fewer, but larger, farms over the course of the last century, the dairy industry has been at the forefront of this trend. Since 1970, the number of dairy farms has declined from about 650,000 to less

sense of how they have successfully partnered with F2F dairy producers.

Case Western Reserve University and Hartzler Dairy

“When I think about having good purchasing standards, it’s about more than just getting the product,” says Vincent Gaikens, campus executive chef for Bon Appétit at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). The CWRU team partnered with Hartzler Dairy over a decade ago and currently buys all of their milk from the family farm, along with Hartzler’s famed chocolate milk and eggnog during the holidays.

The key to Vincent and the team’s success? Smart menu and purchasing planning on contracted products to free up funds to purchase from local farmers. “Vincent and the team exemplify a saying I’ve often used,” says Vice President of Purchasing Theresa Chester. “Leverage what you can do with

IT’S MORE THAN JUST GETTING THE FARM TO FORK SCORE UP, IT’S ABOUT LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE WHO SHARE OUR COMMUNITIES.

than 25,000 in 2022, while average herd sizes have increased. While milk production has grown under these conditions, small farm livelihoods have not.

It’s widely appreciated, especially by Bon Appétiters, that the dairy industry has a significant carbon footprint due to the methane emitted by cows, but this fact obscures stark differences in emissions between large and small farms. According to the USDA, large industrial dairies tend to have higher carbon footprints per unit of milk, due to an array of industrial agriculture practices. While small dairy farms continue to decline, they are replaced by ever larger farms with higher carbon footprints.

If we can agree that supporting small dairy farms can benefit both local communities and the environment, the question for Bon Appétit teams might be how to best support those farms. We engaged with teams across the country to get a

contracted products, so you have the means to do what no one else can in our Farm to Fork program.”

Vassar College and Hudson Valley Fresh

At Vassar College, working with Hudson Valley Fresh, an upstate New York dairy cooperative of small farmers, was an easy choice for Resident District Manager Stephen Scardina and the team. “From the start, it’s been a successful partnership,” says Stephen. “Students appreciate the taste of the farm-fresh, local milk,” he observes. An added bonus? Hudson Valley Fresh stops by Vassar’s Gordon Commons and holds educational tabling events for students.

Edwards Lifesciences and Rosehill Dairy Joseph Davis, chef manager at Edwards Lifesciences in Draper, UT, echoes Steve’s sentiment. “As with any food product, the closer to home you can get it,

the better it tastes. Plus, we reduce our carbon footprint, and our partner Rosehill Dairy even has a reusable container program, so we’re returning containers rather than sending them to the landfill.” For Joseph and the team, the switch to Rosehill was as simple as setting up a standing order, with no additional cost to the unit.

Joseph encourages other Bon Appétit teams to explore local dairy options.

“If you’re hesitant, see if you can take a tour of the local dairy, do a side-byside tasting,” he remarks. “When it’s local, we’re supporting the people who live in our communities — it’s more than just getting the Farm to Fork score up, it’s about looking out for those who share our communities.”

Emerson College, Emmanuel College, and High Lawn Dairy

Despite the advantages, making the switch to local dairy isn’t always easy. Local dairies may have limitations in production capacity, delivery frequency, or pricing. At Emerson College in Boston, MA, where the team partners with High Lawn Dairy, storage constraints and delivery schedules posed initial hurdles.

“Since High Lawn only delivers once or twice a week, we don’t always have the space to store large amounts of product at a time,” Resident

District Manager Dawn Sajdyk explains. “As a way to work around High Lawn’s delivery windows, we supplement here and there with other model market dairy products to maintain our valued partnership.”

Also in Boston at Emmanuel College, another High Lawn partner, General Manager Robin Fortado and the team planned a few years in advance to complete the transition to local dairy. “We always seek out a Farm to Fork product, if we can,” says Robin. “And we can get creative with High Lawn’s ingredients — for example, their heavy cream is so rich that we don’t need roux or flour to thicken sauces.”

Communities over Commodities

While local dairy farm models differ, and pricing varies across the country, the unifying theme teams shared was open and honest communication with their dairy farmers. Through transparent communication, new relationships can turn into decades-long partnerships. “The actual connection with the farmer is the most important — otherwise it’s just milk, it’s just a commodity, and you don’t think about it,” says Vincent. “Dairy is part of the Farm to Fork tapestry you’re weaving, but you need to make the time to find it.”

OUR PEOPLE

Our people are the heart of everything we do. From chefs and culinarians to managers and frontline teams, every person at Bon Appétit brings passion, skill, and integrity to the table. We foster a culture of safety and care, growth and recognition, because when our teams thrive, so do our guests. The dedication our associates bring to the table is central to our success, so we do everything we can to nurture and develop our people. Read more about some of our HR-focused initiatives: from orientation to a celebration of our longestserving team members!

BY KATIE COLLINS, VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

GETTING TO OF OUR PEOPLE

the heart

Since our founding, Bon Appétit has strived to build an inclusive culture in which our people feel like they belong, and where their unique backgrounds, talents, skills, and abilities are valued. Our human resources team works with our managers to ensure that opportunities for employment, training, and resources are available to all associates (and potential ones) so that we can continue to build and maintain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture.

However, the pandemic shutdown and social unrest of 2020 forced us to reflect more deeply and accelerate our progress in creating a more equitable and inclusive work environment.

As a company, we launched a journey to raise awareness about the biases that may be unintentionally entrenched in our corporate systems and moved to disrupt that bias. Through a companywide survey, we took the pulse of how our people were feeling in that unsteady time, and what they were looking for from Bon Appétit as an employer. And we formed a Diversity and Inclusion Action Council (DIAC), which helped us identify areas of focus and exploration in a critical moment.

We knew that a big step toward uprooting unconscious bias was to raise awareness about how it appears in the workplace and share tools to minimize any adverse impacts. Our Chief Administrative Officer began to distribute a monthly newsletter exploring the topic of unconscious bias. We also shared a toolkit with our managers to review and use during the annual performance appraisal process.

As we became more aware of how unconscious bias impacts the workplace, we turned our focus to how we hire and promote. We’ve been thinking critically about the qualifications for our roles to avoid excluding candidates who could be successful with different education, skills, and experiences.

Examples include questioning whether a four-year college degree, or certain industry experience, is really required for success in a role, or if some skills and experiences can be equally successful and provide a different perspective. We are updating the job descriptions for our most common positions to note these changes.

Our most recent engagement survey told us loud and clear that our associates want to advance their careers with us. We launched the Leadership Certification Training series companywide to prepare our promotable hourly associates for advancement opportunities. It is helping us expand our management teams in a way that reflects the diversity of our frontline staff and the communities where we work.

More recently we launched the Essential Management Skills training series to help our early career managers become successful leaders, and we have created career ladders for culinary and operations roles to help our associates better understand potential career pathways within the company.

Our frontline performance appraisal form has been streamlined to contribute to more meaningful performance and career conversations. It can now be done online, which lets us monitor completion and use the information in our data analytics platform and in talent review conversations.

Our DIAC launched a mentoring program for salaried associates in 2024 and is working on activities that support our Fair Treatment policy and improve people skills, delivered through Bon Appétit’s Win ’em Over With Service (WOWS) hospitality training program, to improve communication and inclusion in the workplace. We hope that language learning opportunities, especially English as a Second Language (ESL), will support career advancement for a larger number of our associates as well.

Our most recent engagement survey also told us our people wanted to know more about what’s happening companywide. We launched the Nudge app — an internal social media channel — and multiple postings a day share important messages and encourage our associates to share photos of people, events, and (of course) food where they work. The response to Nudge has been remarkable. When people feel they can share their whole selves in the workplace, it fosters a sense of belonging and connection that strengthens us as a whole.

We’re also using new, powerful analytics tools to measure and monitor our efforts, so we can invest in the activities that we know are having the most impact. These tools and initiatives all add up to a responsive workplace, built to increase equity and ensure a bright future for more of our associates. Thank you all for being on the journey with us.

of Backbone Appé t ı t The Bon

SINCE BON APPÉTIT WAS FOUNDED IN 1987, THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES HAVE MOVED THROUGH OUR RANKS. OUR COMMITMENTS — TO GREAT FOOD, SUSTAINABILITY, AND TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE — HAVE ATTRACTED EXCELLENT PEOPLE TO THE COMPANY. OUR PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE, STEADY, COMMITTED, AND CARING, AND THEY’RE PART OF THIS COMPANY’S DNA.

AMONG ALL OUR ASSOCIATES, THERE ARE CLOSE TO 200 WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR 25 YEARS OR MORE. THESE HARD-WORKING MEMBERS OF OUR BON APPÉTIT NETWORK BRING AN UNPARALLELED WEALTH OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE; ARE BELOVED BY CLIENTS, GUESTS, AND CO-WORKERS; AND DEMONSTRATE A COMMITMENT TO THEIR CRAFT, WHETHER COOKING, HOSPITALITY, OR ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.

They’re more than employees. They’re the backbone of Bon Appé t i t. READ

ON FOR HIGHLIGHTS OF JUST SOME OF OUR LONGEST-SERVING PEOPLE.

YEARS OF SERVICE

Carole Beckwith

GENERAL MANAGER, ST. MARTIN’S UNIVERSITY

“The passion I have for what we do has driven me to persevere and grow,” Carole says. For others who aspire to make a difference in their work, she advises, “Stay focused on the big picture of our mission, the quality of the work, and the impact we make. Keep learning and building relationships. Bon Appétit is full of people who care, connect with others, and support one another. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and lift you up.”

YEARS OF SERVICE

Felipe Arroyo

SENIOR COOK, LINKEDIN

Felipe joined Bon Appétit when he was 21 years old. “Bon Appétit has been loyal to me, so I feel a sense of loyalty back,” he says. His advice? Work hard.“My managers have always seen something in me and given me opportunities to move up and I think it is because I just like to work, and I work hard.”

Annette Clinton

CAFÉ LEAD, CROSSROADS CAFÉ

During her decades-long tenure at Crossroads, Annette has done almost every job available. From bookkeeping, catering, baking, working as a cashier and doing inventory and ordering, to supporting at least eight other accounts as a bartender and server in her tenure, she is steady, consistent, and reliable. Besides the friendships and camaraderie built over many years, another reason she’s stayed? “I love the hours,” says Annette. “I got home before my kids got off the school bus.”

Cecelia Carrasco

CASHIER, SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

Known for her warm smile, infectious laugh, and cheerful greetings, Cecelia has built a special bond with students, brightening their days with every interaction. A friend encouraged her to come work at Santa Clara University in 1999. Cecelia started in the kitchen but soon found her home in The Cellar C-Store. “I’ve loved every day I’ve worked here,” says Cecelia. “I love this job.”

Tamee Flanagan DIRECTOR OF DINING SERVICES, UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND

Tamee keeps the big picture in mind while attending to the smallest details of running a café every day, an approach that keeps her moving forward. She’s especially motivated by our sustainability commitments. “Everything from farmworkers’ rights, climate and food, sustainable seafood, and antibiotics in animals — I’ve seen it all and I’ve spoon-fed our commitments to my friends and family with pride,” she says.

Guadelupe Cruz

SHIFT SUPERVISOR, BIOLA UNIVERSITY

Guadelupe, known as Lupe, assists with all aspects of business at Biola University, our first higher ed account. She’s a trusted member of the team, beloved by colleagues, clients, and students alike. Lupe came to Bon Appétit looking for a way to support her family and stayed because she grew to believe in our guiding philosophies. “Serving students and working with them has helped me grow professionally and spiritually and gain wisdom,” she says.

BOOKKEEPER, GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY

“I have never had a job that I enjoy going to more,” says Kimberly. “Each day is a new adventure.” When she’s not keeping the books at George Fox University and maintaining her relationships with her work family, Kimberly stays busy with her husband and two dogs on their motorcycles, doing woodworking, crafting, and spending time with her new grandson.

Judy Frazier

COOK, WHITMAN COLLEGE

Judy Frazier has seen many changes in her tenure at Whitman — she’s worked there since 1980, a full 14 years before Bon Appétit won the business at the Walla Walla, WA college.

“I’ve loved the variety of all my jobs over the years: dining room, salad bar prep, sandwiches, smoothies, server, cashier, dressings, and catering salads,” she says. “Bon Appétit has treated me well over the years.”

Kimberly Johnson

YEARS OF SERVICE

Guido Lambelet

Switching from fine dining in California to food service in Santa Fe wasn’t a stretch for Guido, who was attracted to Bon Appétit back in the ’90s when he met company leaders and discovered a shared outlook on food. “The freedom to dive into food made from continually evolving sustainable sources, and meeting/working with local farmers/ranchers...is what keeps me going,” he says. To chefs who share his passion, he says, “Love

what you do, and have fun doing it. Stay humble and lead by example.”

YEARS OF SERVICE

Deziree Klema

EXECUTIVE CHEF, TARGET

After a few years of working in a fast-paced hotel kitchen, Deziree (Dez) was looking for a change. She saw that a food service company known for its from-scratch cooking was hiring — no weekends, close to home. “When I walked into the brand-new facility for the interview and learned more about Bon Appétit, I felt an instant spark — it was love at first sight,” she says. The spark’s still going strong, she says, thanks to an environment that encourages experimentation. Dez’s advice? “Acknowledge your hard work. Let your talents shine!”

CHEF, INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS

Maria Morales

CASHIER AND BARISTA, ORACLE

For Maria, work is about relationships. In over 25 years at Oracle, she’s been through many coworkers, but one thing has stayed consistent, she says. “There are always amazing people I work alongside.” In her time at Oracle, she’s worked as a server, cashier, and supervisor, building long-standing connections with her colleagues and the Oracle workforce alike, through many stages of each other’s lives.

Blanca Magallon

COOK, PALO ALTO NETWORKS

The eldest of six siblings from Michoacán, Mexico, Blanca’s culinary journey is rooted in family memories. “You’ll always have work, because everyone has to eat ,” her mom told her, advice that she carries with her to this day. A mother of three, Blanca’s grateful that the steady work schedule at Bon Appétit allowed her to be involved in her own children’s activities and present for their significant milestones. After almost 30 years, Blanca continues to inspire those around her with her commitment to culinary excellence and her ability to balance a fulfilling career with a rich family life.

Scotty Northrup

LEAD COOK, ST. OLAF COLLEGE

Making 40 gallons of soup daily, 120 gallons of both marinara and Alfredo sauce weekly — that’s Scotty’s current focus at St. Olaf, though he’s played so many roles over the years it’s hard to recount. He was recruited to join the team and stayed because the job fulfilled his needs to balance family life and engaging work. In the decades he’s been cooking at the college, he’s noticed how Bon Appétit has grown and expanded. “There are a lot more opportunities for people who want them,” he says. “I chose to prioritize my family over my career.”

YEARS OF SERVICE

Ernesto Munoz

LEAD COOK, TRANSPORTATION TECH COMPANY IN CHICAGO

Ernesto keeps a laminated copy of his first Bon Appétit paystub in his locker, a testament to the commitment and pride he feels for the company. “I am proud that everything is made from scratch,” he says, “and the quality is excellent.” Ernesto is a positive, driving force on his team, bringing a wealth of knowledge, both culinary and of Bon Appétit’s culture. “When I came to this country, I started as a cook at a few different restaurants, but I was not a real cook until I started with Bon Appétit ,” he says.

YEARS OF SERVICE

Erica Peters-Grende

BOOKKEEPER, WHITMAN COLLEGE

Erica came to Bon Appétit at Whitman as an area local looking for a long-term job. She started as an office assistant and stayed, due to “feeling appreciated over the years and feeling like I was making a difference in the lives around me,” she says. Erica’s seen a lot in 30-plus years, including a brand-new dining facility, a hot air balloon landing 100 feet from her office, and countless “firsts” for Bon Appétit. “The passion for stewardship and sustainability makes this a truly remarkable company to work with,” she says.

YEARS OF SERVICE

Wanda Oliver

RETAIL

SUPERVISOR, PARKER CAFÉ

Wanda is the thread that connects the past to the present at Parker, a Bon Appétit account of 28 years. Over 27 of those years, Wanda has seen five Parker CEOs transition through the company, while building connections and friendships with many employees and colleagues. “Not only do I love working with my teammates, but I love the people here at Parker. It’s especially fun to meet Parker employees from around the world,” she says. Her advice for satisfaction and longevity in a job? “Take it one day at a time.”

YEARS OF SERVICE

Eric Rasmussen

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, CARLETON COLLEGE

“Eric is a role model for anyone within our hourly ranks who wants to grow within an organization,” says Regional Vice President Mark LaChance. Eric was an hourly receiving clerk at St. Olaf College when Bon Appétit took over the business in 1996. It was clear to the leadership that he had more to offer, so they started putting more on his plate right away. Over the years, Eric grew with the organization, moving up the ranks among three of our education accounts in Minnesota. “Feeling a sense of accomplishment and gratitude from clients and customers over the years has kept the passion for the industry alive and strong,” says Eric.

YEARS OF SERVICE

David Sansotta

GENERAL MANAGER, ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

At St. Mary’s College in rural Maryland, staffing can be a challenge, but David’s team “will do anything for him,” says District Manager Michael Corradino. It’s a testament to his practice of making a point to build relationships, something he emphasizes to newer hires. “Seek out mentorships,” he says. Another tip: “Stay adaptable and open to learning — embracing new challenges and feedback can help you grow.”

Mercedes Soto

CASHIER, THE GETTY CENTER

Mercedes came to Bon Appétit to help support her family. She worked in a number of roles before landing a cashier position, where she’s been for over two decades. She’s happy working here, connecting with a range of colleagues and visitors to The Getty. “I’ve learned so much,” she says. “Thank you, Bon Appétit for giving me the opportunity to continue working here and serving our staff and guests.”

Jorien Schulze

EXECUTIVE CHEF, BAY AREA TECH COMPANY

After spending years as a restaurant chef, Jorien was over it. “I felt like, I need to have a life.” The hours and work/life balance drew her to Bon Appétit, and today, she runs a café at one of our large technology accounts. Jorien loves the intimacy of running a small café with the support of a large company. “You just need to have the desire to cook great food , be open to everything, have a palate — and people will see you here,” she says. “The support has never stopped.”

Dannie Stanton GENERAL MANAGER, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

Dannie has been with the company since he was 16, when he was hired as part of a youth program in East Palo Alto. He’s worked his way up the ranks in catering and operations in both education and B&I accounts. The last remaining from his youth cohort, Dannie says, “I stayed because of the support and passion of our CEO Fedele and his food and service philosophy.” His advice for others looking to grow? “Work hard and be passionate about what we do.”

Marco Vargas

SOUS CHEF, WHITMAN COLLEGE

After two and a half decades working at Whitman, Marco has worked his way up from cafeteria cook to sous chef. In those years, “the major change I’ve witnessed is in myself,” he says. “Moving up within the company has helped me use the best of my skills and experience different environments.” Be patient, he advises. “Know that Bon Appétit may offer you opportunities to move up and be successful.”

Corazon (Cory) Van Kempen

GENERAL MANAGER, KAISER PERMANENTE

Cory came for the benefits and stayed for the culture. “I’ve grown with the company,” she says. Her favorite part of an almost 30-year journey is seeing how Bon Appétit has leveraged our growth to create more opportunities for our people. “It brings me immense joy to see so many colleagues who have advanced in their careers alongside me. Many who started as hourly front-of-house staff or cooks are now managers, executive chefs, or operations/district managers. I’ve seen first-hand how we nurture our employees for future leadership roles.”

CATERING CHEF, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ENTERTAINMENT STUDIO

Angel came to Bon Appétit 30 years ago and quickly took to Bon Appétit’s Dream. “I stayed in this company because it provides me with job security, great people, and the philosophy to cook great , fresh food from scratch,” says Angel, who has been a valued team member at accounts that range from colleges to financial services to entertainment studios. “Angel is a true representative of Bon Appétit,” says Estevan Bautista, Angel’s manager and colleague over the years. “He holds the line and ensures that all around him work the ‘BA way.’”

Chih (Gigi) Wu

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, PATRICK HENRY COLLEGE

“A cornerstone of East Coast operations,” is what District Manager Yvonne Matteson calls her. Gigi started her career at Bon Appétit as a student worker at UPenn in 1998 (while learning English). On a work visa, she worked weekends in catering and eventually landed a role regionally, giving accounting support to a few accounts. She met her husband while working here and has been “meeting mentors and forging friendships for 25 years,” she says. “It truly feels like I am surrounded by family.” She wouldn’t change a thing about her path, she says. “Every bump encountered...allowed me to learn, self-reflect, and improve.”

Robert

Markus

Fernando Martinez COOK, THE GETTY CENTER

Michele

Richard Maxwell GENERAL MANAGER, THE THACHER SCHOOL

Vickie

Three Programs Shaping the Future of Leadership at Bon Appétit

HERE AT BON APPÉTIT, WE’RE FORTUNATE TO BE SURROUNDED BY TALENTED PEOPLE EVERY DAY: BARISTAS WHO WIELD A MEAN CAPPUCCINO AND A KNACK FOR EVENT PLANNING; COOKS WHO PREPARE DELICIOUS MEALS AT SCALE AND INSPIRE THEIR PEERS; CASHIERS WHO CONSISTENTLY BRIGHTEN OUR GUESTS’ DAYS.

Denise Massey, manager of Bon Appétit’s leadership and development team, is passionate about establishing, enriching, and expanding our employees’ leadership capacity. She is the developer of three programs shaping the future of leadership at Bon Appétit and, along with Learning and Development Specialist Beth Cooper, teaches courses to Bon Appétiters across the nation.

“In the Leadership Certification Training program for hourly team members, we plant seeds and establish strong leadership roots,” says Denise. “The Essential Management Skills Training program builds on those roots and helps team members blossom into successful managers. The topics presented in the Recipes For Retention Program offer nourishment to encourage continuous growth of our talented team members.”

For Denise, these programs combine the things that she’s most passionate about: diversity, equity, and inclusion; and teaching and training. “When I can combine these and impact lives, that is so rewarding for me,” she says.

Beth feels the same. “I love working with aspiring leaders, witnessing their growth and passion as they transform into dynamic, effective Bon Appétiters. The energy and enthusiasm they bring makes me a better facilitator and I am privileged to witness their journey.”

Get a snapshot of these programs through the eyes of three Bon Appétiters on the following page and read about their full experiences on our blog by scanning the QR code on the left.

Leadership Certification Training (LCT)

The class is kind of sneaky in ways that you don’t realize what it’s going to open your eyes and mind to.

Essential Management Skills (EMS)

The class offered a lot more ways to prepare myself to successfully train and assemble a team.

Recipes for Retention

I wanted to really just expand my knowledge of ways to connect with my team.

— Ryan O’Rourke — Kathryn Davis —

Establishing Strong Leadership Roots: Strengthens employees’ leadership skills to prepare them for supervisory or managerial roles.

“The class is kind of sneaky in ways that you don’t realize what it’s going to open your eyes and mind to,” laughs Kathryn Davis, General Manager, Fribley Commons at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. She recommends the program wholeheartedly to her peers. “I am grateful to Bon Appétit and the wonderful people that have strengthened me as a manager, and you will be too.”

More than 250 Bon Appétiters have graduated from the LCT program since the program debuted companywide two years ago. Many graduates have moved up into positions with more responsibility. The Learning & Development team accepts applications throughout the year and slots applicants into future cohorts based on their availability.

Kathryn’s advice:

Be open-minded. Look at yourself as much as you’re asked to look at other people throughout the process.

Take notes! You can’t remember it all, but it’s important information that you need to have to be effective at your job.

Do your homework on time. They’re serious about that!

Enriching Our Managerial Roots: Strengthens managers’ leadership skills so they can be more effective in their roles and continue to grow their careers at Bon Appétit.

“The class offered a lot more ways to prepare myself to successfully train and assemble a team that is well-informed, and how to work better as a team,” says Ryan O’Rourke, Café Manager, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN. While the course is a time commitment, Ryan says it’s worth the effort. “No matter what you think you know, taking this course will without a doubt open your mind to some new approaches. Kind of a fresh set of eyes on the things you’ve been doing.”

Ryan’s advice:

Commit. Don’t let excuses like time constraints get in your way. Head straight into the course and do the best you can.

Communicate. If you’re struggling with timing because you’re busy, communicate with your instructor. They will work with you. Nerves are normal. If you haven’t been in school for a long time, it’s easy to feel nervous. But the people in the group made the experience comforting and easy.

Julie Alexander

Expanding Our Managerial Roots: Strengthens managers’ skills and offers them tools and resources to be more effective in their roles and continue to grow their careers at Bon Appétit.

“I wanted to really just expand my knowledge of ways to connect with my team,” says Julie Alexander, Executive Sous Chef, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN, about her initial interest in the program. One of the first sessions Julie attended offered a bright idea for getting her team more involved in understanding both expectations and the purpose behind their work. She gathered them to review Bon Appétit’s Dream statement and then challenged them to collaborate on their own team mission statement together. “It was fantastic, everyone contributed,” she says. “We sat there, and everyone gave their own input. It [the mission statement] was built by every single person there, so that was an accomplishment.”

The Learning & Development team offers customized sessions for different regions upon request. They are also always open to suggestions!

Julie’s advice:

Just. Do. It. You won’t regret it, there will be so much to add to your toolbox.

Send a Friend! If you can’t find the time, have one of your supervisors attend. (Limited to salaried employees.)

BY JENNY SLAFKOSKY

hile job training is essential for being successful in a role, building a career takes more than coursework or on-the-job learning — it takes connections, deep ones. For many, a trusted mentor is a critical resource for building a career with longevity.

But intentionally fostering meaningful connections among hundreds of people at locations distributed across the country requires some serious infrastructure. That’s where Bon Appétit Connects comes in, the companywide mentorship program launched this year in collaboration with the Bon Appétit Diversity and Inclusion Action Council (DIAC) and facilitated by partner Ten Thousand Coffees (10KC). Amy Tomes, General Manager at Macalester College and member of the DIAC, serves as the Bon Appétit Connects program manager.

“My experience with a mentor made such an impact on me in terms of my growth, my dedication to and passion for Bon Appétit,” says Amy, speaking fondly of her longtime mentor, Operations Manager Kent Buell.

When the DIAC raised the idea of creating a companywide mentorship program in response to a staff survey showing that employees were hungry for mentorship connections, Amy was eager to help find a solution.

Through the 10KC virtual platform, salaried Bon Appétiters with a variety of job experiences are paired as mentors and mentees based on their interests and characteristics. Each pair meets monthly for a virtual cup of coffee for six months. Prompts and short readings or videos are provided to get the conversation flowing at each meeting. After six months, participants are encouraged to repeat the program either as a mentor or mentee with a new pairing.

As Bon Appétit continues to grow, Amy thinks the program can help people share their knowledge, best practices, and stories with others across the nation. “I’ve never had an experience where I didn’t get a lot out of meeting other people in the organization,” she says.

Ally Padrick, a proposal writer on the corporate team and former general manager, signed up to be a mentor in the first Bon Appétit Connects cohort. “I’ve always been really fortunate to have leaders who have fostered my own learning,” she says. “At the same time, I don’t know that I’ve ever felt I’ve had a true mentor. So, I thought it would be really helpful and empowering for me to be able to fulfill that for somebody else.”

Ally was paired with Adi Gayosso, an operations manager at Oracle. The two immediately found common ground and reciprocity in their connection. They’d worked in similar operations and even knew some of the same clients and colleagues. But they each had something to learn from each other. “What I like with my pairing with Ally is she understands my background, and I get to see how she went into a completely different role,” says Adi.

Learning how Ally has grown within the company and has taken a path Adi had never considered before was eye-opening. “You see that the company is more than just food management, like what we do on the floor,” she says. “There are so many other people in the background that do so many other things. Right now you’re doing this, but maybe your passion is something else and it’s something that you can still do within the company. You just haven’t realized that as it’s not right in front of you.”

For Ally, the experience has been equally rewarding. “I still look at things and think ‘Oh boy, I can still learn from this’ or, ‘I should bring this to my manager.’ It’s really tapped into my own personal desire to keep learning.”

While Ally felt a little bit of impostor syndrome when she signed up to be a mentor, she’s been pleasantly surprised to realize how much wisdom she has to share. “It’s really highlighted the value I do bring to the table and how I can instill that in others.”

Both Ally and Adi agree that the monthly time commitment is manageable, particularly in light of the reward of the connection.

Say Hello to

Bon Appétit’s New Orientation

is Revamped and Rewarding

Program

BY PAULA NIELSEN, DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

AT BON APPÉTIT, WE’RE ALWAYS WORKING TO CREATE THE BEST EXPERIENCES FOR OUR GUESTS AND CLIENTS, AND THE FIRST STEP IN DOING THAT IS ENSURING THAT OUR EMPLOYEES FEEL BOTH EMPOWERED AND INSPIRED WHEN THEY BEGIN WORKING WITH US. THAT’S WHY THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE TEAM AND I CREATED CIAO!, BON APPÉTIT’S UPDATED ORIENTATION PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO REFLECT THE CHANGING NATURE OF OUR WORKFORCE.

CIAO! speaks to the diverse perspectives, experiences, and learning styles that our employees bring to the table through an interactive program that is a bright and engaging feast for the senses. By conveying critical job-related information in entertaining ways, our new employees have their first truly immersive Bon Appétit experience. After all, why shouldn’t our employee orientation be both informative and fun?

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE PAULA NIELSEN WELCOMES FOLKS TO ORIENTATION

Less is More

In the process of creating CIAO!, I engaged with thought leaders across departments to identify messaging priorities and address common pain points. A key realization was that overwhelming employees with information can be just as ineffective as providing too little.

This information overload led to employees missing critical updates, such as benefit enrollment deadlines, 401k information, essential safety training, account-specific policies, and other vital communications. Long, static training sessions further compounded the issue, failing to provide employees with the best opportunity to absorb and retain the information they needed to successfully begin their journey with us.

Now, new team members are treated to a vibrant, employee-centered program through which we deliver key content around safety, benefits, company culture, and hospitality. We punctuate safety presentations with music, humor, and videos. HR and benefits pair well with snack and dance breaks — little amuse-bouches, if you will. We encourage our new employees to take selfies with our custom branded frames and share them with friends, since often we attract new talent through word of mouth.

A BIT OF BA SWAG

COOK JAMILETH BLANDON (L), AND FRONT OF HOUSE ATTENDANT MARI HERNANDEZ, AT ORIENTATION

GETTING INTO THE CIAO! SPIRIT AT EBAY

Customized, Like Everything at Bon Appétit

Like any great event, our new orientation program is custom-built for each team. First, we host a planning meeting with on-site managers, regional leadership, and HR partners. Investing in our employees starts from day one, so we treat them to gifts like useful branded backpacks and notebooks and — perhaps most importantly — we invite them to join us for a family meal. What could be more Bon Appétit than that?

CIAO! is hosted by trained “orienteers” who work in partnership with regional leadership, HR partners, and safety and wellness champions. This armada of support ensures that our managers can focus on the many details of a successful opening or re-launch, while we ensure a successful first day for their new employees.

GRAZIE MILLE

Crucially, CIAO! sets a positive and inclusive tone. By the end of their CIAO! experience, new employees understand that working at Bon Appétit is more than just a paycheck. They’re wanted and welcomed, and many opportunities await them in their careers with us.

Anecdotally, we find that employees who have done the CIAO! program feel inspired and empowered to deliver the Bon Appétit experience from day one. Now that’s something to say ciao to!

My team and I look forward to saving a seat at the table for many new team members in the coming year.

CIAO! is currently available for hourly team members, a version of the program for salaried team members is coming soon.

FIRED UP AND READY TO GO AT ROBLOX

S-A-F-E-T-Y

CHEF OF

OUR 2024 CHEF OF THE YEAR, JEFF THURSTON, has been working in restaurants since he was a teenager. While the first restaurant gig functioned primarily as a way to finance his bicycle hobby, it didn’t take long for the energy of restaurants to grab hold of Jeff. Over 30 years later, he still thrives off the action in the back of the house and the buzz of guests in the front.

Over the years, he’s honed both people and culinary skills, with a resume that’s taken him across the continent and up and down the West Coast running restaurants of all sizes and styles. “I’ve aspired to learn what I could learn and become the top cheese in the kitchen. I worked a long time getting there.”

At The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA, Jeff oversees a team of 150 and an operation that includes a four-station café, a Chinese restaurant, and the newly renovated and re-opened Rose Garden Tea Room.

“I believe Jeff’s culinary leadership at The Huntington has been crucial to producing one of the best food programs in the Southern California specialty market,” says Michael Venckus, regional vice president in California. Jeff spends long days there, striving to maintain a work environment where staff not only feel empowered to make decisions and solve problems, but where the energy and vibes are on point, he says. “We spend the majority of our days together,” says Jeff. “To have a positive, upbeat atmosphere is so important.”

THE YEAR

OUR 2025 CHEF OF THE YEAR, NIMAL AMARASINGHE, stands out for leading with purpose, innovation, and heart. From the kitchen of Cleveland Commons at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, Chef Nimal has gained recognition for his dedication to creating a college dining program that is scratch made, culturally rooted, and sustainable.

Committed to fostering the growth of his team, he recently mentored and promoted long-term employees into senior sous chef roles. His team culture of continuous learning and cross-training has elevated employees’ skills and morale.

In a groundbreaking initiative with the college’s Native American Outreach office and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Chef Nimal and General Manager Shannon Null launched the First Foods Station, which features the cuisines of local Indigenous communities — the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes. It is believed to be the first concept of its kind on a U.S. higher education campus and has been praised for its educational impact and respectful collaboration with Native communities.

Chef Nimal is also a disciplined operator. He has driven revenue increases and managed costs without sacrificing quality or sustainability. With his contributions, Cleveland Commons now boasts LEED Gold certification, has a thriving Eco-Takeouts program, and achieved Blue Zones recognition for plant-forward menuing and an environment that encourages healthy choices. Overall, his inclusive approach combines authentic global menus that meet multiple dietary needs with dining events designed to inspire community connections.

“He doesn’t just feed this campus community; he inspires it,” writes Regional Vice President Michael Aquaro.

WOMEN IN

I’m soaking up everything that I can learn and trying to be better than I was yesterday.

Tanarsha Farley (L), executive sous chef at Emory University, and Cristina Espinosa, an executive catering chef at one of our Bay Area technology accounts, were chosen in 2024 to represent Bon Appétit at Compass Group’s annual Women in Culinary Showcase. We are lucky to have these two amazing women culinarians! Read more of their story by scanning the QR code.

I really just want to push the envelope when it comes to women in the industry.

— Tanarsha — Cristina

CULINARY

Congratulations

to our

2025 Women in Culinary Nominee

Jacqueline Bishop!

With over 12 years of experience in the culinary world, from fast food to fine dining, Jacqueline Bishop came to Bon Appétit in 2017 as a cook at one of our university accounts in Alabama. Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, AL, Jacqueline learned to cook by “working in the kitchen with my grandmother, my mom, and my aunts,” she says. “We love to eat, and we love good food, and if it’s not right, you’re going to hear about it.”

Chef Jackee credits her mentor and former manager, Jason Hall, for helping her navigate the career ropes at Bon Appétit. “Through the eight years, he’s mentored and encouraged me,” she says, from her start as an hourly cook to her current position as executive chef at the historic women’s HBCU, Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.

While she loves to roll out her Southern comfort food for the Spelman students, she’s been pushing herself to master other cuisines, as well. “My grandmother always told me that people eat with their eyes first,” she says, “so I try and make it look good and taste good.”

Jackee was “beyond ecstatic” to be nominated and attend the Women in Culinary event in Miami this spring, where she was able to meet fellow women culinarians and discuss their experiences in the industry. “For me, the biggest takeaway was this: Own who you are and be you. Put your footprint on something and stand by it.”