Honoring the Service and Courage of our Los Angeles Teams

People evacuate a college campus as a fire burns behind them.

The Pepperdine campus during the Franklin Fire in December 2024. Photo courtesy Pepperdine University.

In early December, the Franklin Fire broke out in the area surrounding Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, spreading from the Santa Monica mountains to parts of the campus. Due to Pepperdine’s unique positioning between the mountains and the Pacific Coast Highway, students were under a shelter in place order during the fire.  

District Manager Jotanna Proescholdt described a very intense scene where hundreds of students were sleeping in the library and the cafe for safety while many members of the Bon Appétit team drove back to work through the fire to make sure people were fed. Pepperdine has a robust emergency and fire management plan, and everyone on campus stayed safe.  

Less than one month later, the Palisades Fire emerged just nine miles east of campus, along with the other devastating fires in the LA area. With dozens of accounts and hundreds of employees in greater Los Angeles, many of our associates, clients and guests have been impacted by this catastrophe. Our hearts go out to all of them.  

While Bon Appétit takes action to support affected employees, many of our courageous and resourceful associates continue to support our clients through these uncertain and frightening circumstances, and to feed firefighters, law enforcement, and the National Guard from several of our LA-area locations.  

In a letter to Bon Appétit staff, CEO Fedele Bauccio wrote, “It takes courage to make these contributions during a chaotic and dangerous time. For those of you on the front lines, thank you. I honor your work and your courage.”  

 The loss—of lives, homes, neighborhoods, wild spaces, culture—incurred by these fires is immeasurable. We are keeping everyone affected in our hearts.  

 This post has been updated from the original.