Bon Appétit Management Company

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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 café 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.  

Care and Feeding for First Responders 

In the weeks following the January fires, regional team members and those from Pepperdine reached out to churches and local organizations to try and find a way to help support the community. “We had to be patient for a good opportunity to serve,” says Kari Menslage, regional director of activation. Kari connected with the pastor of her local church who put her in touch with the local fire response team. They were then introduced to a deputy from the Malibu Lost Hills sheriff’s department who requested lunches for 100 people for two days, to be delivered to their precinct in Calabasas.  

This department provides disaster services and law enforcement within Los Angeles County — specifically Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu and the Palisades. They were instrumental in organizing efforts throughout the Malibu and Palisades fires — orchestrating the road closures, emergency service access, and evacuation orders as well as enforcing curfews and safety.

A small but mighty Bon Appétit team assembled in our commissary kitchen on the Pepperdine campus to cook and pack the meals. Regional Senior Executive Chef Peter Alfaro joined Pepperdine Chef-Manager Rebecca Pena and Cook Mario Marquez, along with Allison Green, Pepperdine’s wellness manager, in pulling together two delicious and nourishing meals for the crew, along with an adapted version of Bon Appétit’s “Take What You Need” activation, which focuses on mental well-being

The Korean beef bowls (“the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in this building,” according to one of the crew members) and stir-fried sesame noodles were a hit on day one; ditto the turkey BLTs and buffalo cauliflower wraps on day two.  

From the delicious and abundant food to the decor and the attention to mental well-being, the sheriff’s department was extremely grateful, says Kari. “Our goal was to give this team a feel-good moment and take their mind off of the heaviness of their seemingly endless days.”  

This was just one example of how our LA teams exhibited their commitment to the community during the tragic fires in Los Angeles. 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.” 

 

*This post has been edited from the original.