Innovation

Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCO) started as a small catering company in California in the 1980s. Passionate about food, Fedele Bauccio, CEO of BAMCO, was convinced that the catering industry needed a disruptive change. The “Farm to Fork” was initiated in 1999. BAMCO is the first large food corporation to commit to purchasing large amount of ingredients from local sources. Bon Appétit at Case has been working closely with 30-40 local farmers and food artisans. 24% of the fresh ingredients are from local community.

“We have Kitchen Principles,” said Beth Kretschmar, marketing manger of Bon Appétit at Case, “For instance, fish is only purchased if it meets Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines. Our principles are upheld across the board. We also have a program called Great Expectations. It is a guidebook of sorts that we review on a regular basis to help make a better food experience for our customers.”

“Bon Appétit is a very chef-driven company. Our chefs are so talented and know their audiences. Why not let them use their creativity and benefit our customers. Our menu is different in every café,” said Beth, “We are such a quality company. We look for like-minded organizations. Passion is infectious, our managers and chefs really love what they are doing and share the same core values as our company. That’s why it’s such a good fit.”

Highlights of Bon Appétit Management Company’s pioneer programs:

• “Farm to Fork program” requires chefs to buy at least 20% of the ingredients from small farmers, and food producers within 150 miles of the kitchens.

•Chefs only serve sustainable seafood based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines, cage-free shell eggs, rBGH free milk and yogurt, and humanely raised ground beef.

•In 2007, BAMCO started “Low Carbon Diet program” to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 25% in 3 years.

Inspiration

“Our CEO is really passionate about food and believes that good food should be shared by everyone. That’s how our company moves to work for corporations, specialty venues and educational accounts,” said Beth, “He is also passionate about local food because it just tastes better. Produces loss the freshness and flavor during transportation. By working with local farmers and food artisans, not only will the food taste better but you also supporting the local communities. That is really the inspiration of our company, providing a great food experience to our customers and clients.”

Overall impact

“We are impacting the local community certainly”, said Beth, “ for example, 10 years ago, our regional vice president met Ed and Betty Frank, owners of the Veggie Valley Farm, at Shaker’s Square Farmer’s market. They were in their mid-70s. They plant, grow and harvest potatoes locally and used to make a living by going to different farmer’s markets. We offered them a long-term contract since then. Last year, we purchased about 70,000 pounds of potatoes from them just in one season. It really changed their life. You put money back to people and local community. It’s a big impact that way”.

Besides the local community, Bon Appétit at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland actively involves students in all kinds of sustainable related activities. “We try to be sustainable in anyway possible, not just food but also recycling, composting”, said Beth, “We do a composting program with Case farm. They use it to grow more food and give back to us. It’s a big circle, which is great. We partnered with Case Engineering students to start a recycling program. We also collaborate with Food Recovery Network at Case, which is run by students. They come to pick up leftover food and deliver to churches and people who need it. Students are so energetic and creative. We work with the Student Sustainability Council at Case as well. Suggested by one of the students, we started our Trayless Program about 7 years ago. It was a great way to reduce unnecessary food waste at cafeteria”.

Highlights of Bon Appétit’s onsite sustainable program at Case Western Reserve University:

•Since October 2015, Bon Appétit has been composting between 900 to 2,000 gallons of greens from campus cafeterias and dining rooms.

•Up to June 2016, Bon Appétit has composted over 15,000 gallons of greens with weekly compost ranging from 50 to 200 gallons.

•Partnering with Food Recovery Network at CWRU students, Bon Appétit has donated 4,170 lbs of food in the past year.

Business benefit

Bon Appétit Management Company is committed to incorporate sustainability and positive net impact into its corporation strategy. With the logo “Food service for a sustainable future”, Bon Appétit has established higher standards for its peers in the industry to follow. Many of the clients will reach out to Bon Appétit to establish partnerships around the country. Employees are proud to be part of a great organization and extremely motivated to do the right thing and provide a food experience to their customers. “I really like to work for a company that has a positive impact on people. You are creating good experiences for people; you are affecting local community as a small business even though you are a large organization. It’s really cool to work for a company like this,” said Beth.

Social and environmental benefit

Bon Appétit Management Company are pioneers in the industry to create sustainable food systems. They have created programs addressing local purchasing, the overuse of antibiotics, sustainable seafood and cage-free shell eggs. They are the first food company that makes the connection between food and climate change. Now they are moving towards farm workers’ welfare. BAMCO is committed to the well-being of its clients, communities, and environments.

Interview

Beth Kretschmar, Marketing manager