Over the first two weeks of the semester there has been much discussion about the opening of the Usdan University Center and the dining program operated by Bon Appétit Management Company in this new facility. I am writing to remind you what Bon Appétit promised the students and staff who made up the Dining Review Committee on whose recommendation we hired Bon Appétit, and to offer my own perspective about how well they are delivering on these promises.
As Vice President for Finance and Administration John Meerts wrote in an email message to all students last spring, Bon Appétit committed to:
– Cooking food from scratch with fresh seasonal ingredients;
– Serving a wide variety of menu items at each meal, each day keeping things fresh, fun, and interesting;
– Providing flexibility, including longer service hours and variety in dining plans;
– Taking their role in the community seriously by promoting sustainability and making socially responsible purchasing decisions in regards to produce, meat, seafood, eggs, coffee and disposable plates and serviceware;
– Serving great-tasting, authentic and nutritious food that exceeds the expectations of vegetarian, vegan, kosher and international diners;
– Providing opportunities for all staff members to develop their potential and abilities. Specifically, the company produced a dining plan that maintains the current number of dining staff positions at campus facilities.
Bon Appétit is delivering on all of these promises. Bon Appétit moved into the Usdan University Center less than one month ago and have been operating the kitchens and venues for only two weeks. They have faced significant challenges as they adapt their operations to these new facilities, as they address the early-semester usage patterns that have so many students showing up for lunch and dinner at the same time, and as they train staff to food preparation techniques that are very new to them. But clear progress is being made on all these challenges, as students who visit Usdan on a daily basis can attest.
I am deeply concerned about rumors circulating about the relationship between Bon Appétit Management Company and its new employees, many of whom have been members of the Wesleyan community for many years. Contrary to what has been reported to you, Bon Appétit has delivered on its promise to provide as many fulltime positions as existed under Aramark—in fact, they added a position. All fulltime Aramark employees were offered fulltime positions with benefits, plus the training required to learn the skills required for the new dining program. Wesleyan’s contract with Bon Appétit always allowed the company to subcontract services that require special skills current workers could not be expected to provide, but Wesleyan’s Code of Employment Standards for contractors—developed years ago in concert with USLAC—stipulates fair wages and access to benefits for the employees of any such contractor. This code governs any subcontract agreement made by Bon Appétit with the franchise group that provides sushi.
I ask for your patience as Wesleyan, Bon Appetit and its new employees work together to develop the best approach to providing service in our new facility. Staff from Bon Appétit and the University have been working closely day by day to make steady progress, and we will continue to do so until we have a dining program that meets the highest standards attainable.
Sincerely,
Rick Culliton
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