Fedele Bauccio, Co-Founder & CEO, Bon Appétit Management Company, answers five questions on Responsibility.
I’ve long believed that if we, as a company, behave in a socially responsible manner, our customers will be more loyal, dine with us more often, tell their friends about us, and be willing to pay more for our services. And perhaps equally importantly, our employees will be very proud to be part of a company that’s driving positive change. It makes it easier for us to attract and retain the best people. People do connect with Bon Appétit Management Company on an emotional level: we will never be seen as a commodity. Instead, we are viewed as a trusted partner.
Being socially (and environmentally) responsible is a core tenet of our business strategy and informs how we conduct ourselves every day. It’s not a marketing program or a side project. It’s a primary driver in our decision-making process and our promise to our clients.
Responsibility has to start at the top. If I don’t believe that being a responsible company is important, no one else will. I’ve tried to show through my actions that I value responsibility above all else, and we’ve set up systems that reward responsibility. None of what we say matters if the field doesn’t internalize our philosophies — and I think they have.
As a child, I remember my father would invite strangers from all walks of life to our house for our traditional Italian Sunday dinner. There would be people eating with us who no one knew. "We should share our table with everyone," my father said. I never forgot that lesson. Food is about community. Many invisible threads of responsibility join those who grow it, harvest it, cook it, eat it or dream of it.
You know deep down what the right thing to do is. That’s why we hired you. Follow your heart.