Bon Appétit Management Company

Many Americans now know the names of the farms that grow their food, but even as we’re urged to eat more seafood for its health benefits, few of us can identify local species or the fishing operations that supply them. The time is ripe for local fish. Please join @bamco and @seafoodwatch for a Twitter chat on Monday, September 24, at 12pm Pacific.

At Bon Appétit, we love local food — just ask the thousand-plus small farmers, fishers, and artisans who supply us through our Farm to Fork program. Inspired by them, teams at many of our corporate accounts have started growing some of their own food.

What can you possibly say in 140 characters? A lot, actually! “Twitter chats” are free-form discussions in which people weigh in on a given topic, using an agreed-upon #hashtag. They can be a fun way to tap into the “hive mind.” This Thursday, at 12 p.m. Pacific time, we’ll be hosting a Twitter chat about what “food services for a sustainable future” should look like for Bon Appétit Management Company – follow along via #BAsustain!

School is back in session, and the Daily Meal just wrapped up a summer-long research project — a hunt for the best college food in the country. The team examined the dining programs at every four-year college in America — more than 2,000 of them. Nine Bon Appétit schools made the resulting list of 52!

I had believed that social change came from the world of nonprofits. How could do-gooders both stay true to their vision and make money? Didn’t that take grants and volunteers and 501c3 status? It was exciting to see true sustainability at work: a for-profit business model that was also loyal to a socially responsible mission. From then on, I knew I wanted to work for Bon Appétit.

Birthdays are a great time for reflection. When Bon Appétit Management Company was founded 25 years ago, in 1987, our priorities were cooking restaurant-quality food from scratch using the freshest ingredients, and delivering outstanding customer service. In 2004, we formally committed to sustainability, which we defined as “food choices that celebrate flavor, affirm regional cultural traditions, and support local communities without compromising air, water or soil, now and in the future.” We’ve been looking ahead to our next 25 years, and asking our teams around the country — and our guests — for their input on what should be next.

Making healthy choices often seems tough for college students. Between social activities, doing homework, and participating in extracurricular, personal well-being can often take a back seat. But Bon Appétit makes the healthy choice the easy, default choice in the dining hall and we were recently recognized for our efforts.

CNBC interviewed Bon Appétit Management Company CEO Fedele Bauccio about what it’s been like feeding Silicon Valley for 25 years.

This summer, Bon Appétit chefs gathered around the country to learn the ins and outs of cooking authentic Indian cuisine. At Emmanuel College in Boston, I joined a group of New England chefs attending the culinary training, titled “Flavors from the Turmeric Trail” and given by Raghavan Iyer, a native of Mumbai and a celebrated chef, author, and teacher.

When it comes to food, students know what they like – and what they don’t. Long gone are the times where students would eat mystery meat, things covered in gravy, and canned vegetables. Thanks to Bon Appétit, they don’t have to.