Bon Appétit Management Company

Our chefs on college campuses around the country have the unique responsibility to expand the minds and palates of an emerging generation, and an opportunity to educate students about the importance (and deliciousness) of sustainably sourced seafood options, both wild-caught or farmed, that are served in their campus cafés. 

Our partner, Numi, provides us with assorted herbal and caffeinated Fair Trade Certified teas, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and community development premiums to support health, education, and infrastructure projects. They work closely with farm partners around the world, sourcing 130+ organic ingredients from more than 34 countries, guaranteeing traceable ingredients and positive outcomes for tea workers and their communities.   

Bon Appétit Management Company has long relied on Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines to inform our sustainable seafood purchasing. The Seafood Watch program scientifically assesses the environmental sustainability of seafood products on the U.S. market and then uses those findings to transform how seafood is fished and farmed. Commitments like ours at Bon Appétit  — and our chefs’ efforts to put those promises into action — help push the needle on seafood sustainability so that people and planet can thrive for the long term.  

From a young age, food was my source of joy and creativity. As I got older, that fascination with food only grew. What was once a childhood pastime evolved into an obsession. I devoured cookbooks, immersed myself in documentaries, and cooked meal after meal for anyone willing to eat my food.  Through cooking, I discovered that food has a unique power to foster connections. Sharing meals and recipes helps build relationships and create lasting bonds, a lesson I learned early on and one that continues to inspire my work today. 

Throughout Central and South America, we can find corn as a foundational food in many diverse cuisines, revealing its impressive versatility and cross-cultural importance over time.  Here are eight different traditional dishes showing the breadth of corn, from a savory staple to a sweet treat!  

For Native Peoples in Mesoamerica, corn was considered a sacred grain, a gift from the gods, and a source of life. Maize was more than just a staple food but helped inform a rich spiritual and cultural identity that lives on to this day.

Every October, Bon Appétit Management Company recognizes Fair Trade Month by educating our guests about the importance of the internationally recognized certification for ethically made products, which supports equitable global supply chains.  

Telling the stories behind the food really resonates with me. Every plate holds layers of history, culture, and effort that’s often unseen until you dig deeper. I find inspiration in these stories—whether they come from local farmers discussing sustainable agricultural practices, or seeing firsthand how small, conscious changes from the consumer in a food system can ripple out to make a huge difference.

For our Eat Local Challenge’s 20th anniversary, accounts across the country Bon Appetit teams brought their A-game to the fun and delicious celebration of the program, the partnerships, and of course, the food. Teams kept things fresh this year by adding pre-promotional activities, trivia, raffles, and giveaways to engage our guests. Read on to hear about all the friends and flavors that came together for the 20th anniversary of ELC!  

Each year, Bon Appétit Management Company takes advantage of the opportunity to honor and celebrate the cultural heritage of our team members and guests who identify with the Hispanic and Latinx community. Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from September 15th to October 15th, and we are thrilled for the chance to recognize and uplift the voices of our culinarians through their recipes and food traditions.