Green Catering

Bon Appétit was the first food service company to address the issues related to where our food comes from and how it is grown. We are still the largest restaurant company with such a high level of commitment to socially responsible practices. Bon Appétit is unique in that all of our promises apply to guests eating in both our cafés and at catered events, not just specific "green" locations. Our partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s staff, faculty, and students has resulted in a number of sustainability innovations, events and initiatives throughout the entire University City District.

Our experience has taught us to pay great attention to the quality of our ingredients, food preparation, presentation and service. Our culinary team seeks out local growers and producers, procuring the freshest regional food available to ensure that we serve only the best at your event. All our menus are prepared with creativity and passion, and presented with style and elegance. Specific environmentally and socially responsible catering options include:

• Our menus feature seasonal and locally-grown products. Each month, our Executive Chef creates a unique menu that highlights the bold flavors of the season with fresh produce, meats and dairy from our local farms.
• All of our seafood is purchased in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines for sustainability and our fish is never air-freighted.
• The Bon Appétit at Penn Catering culinary team offers many menu items that can be served family-style or in bulk, reducing excess waste. Our house-made Parmesan-Ranch Chips, for example, are a delicious alternative to wasteful, individually bagged snacks.
• We offer a traditional china service that is both more elegant and sustainable than using disposable serviceware. If necessary, we can provide serviceware that is biodegradable and compostable, thus eliminating plastic and Styrofoam waste.
• Instead of individual plastic beverage bottles, Bon Appétit at Penn Catering offers many refreshing beverages in tasteful beverage dispensers with compostable cups.
• We are happy to provide signage and bins for composting, recycling, and trash to ensure that waste is disposed of in an environmentally-responsible manner.
• If large quantities of food are left over after your event, we’ll provide reusable serving trays and/or compostable to-go containers if your guests wish to take home second helpings.