Corporation
Buys Bon Appetit larger Inc.
by Faith Richards
Less
than a year after the College announced intentions to contract with
Bon Appetit Dining Services provider, the department of Residential
Life and Services (ResLife) has been informed that the San Francisco-based
company has been bought by the Compass Group.
The Compass Group is a British company that runs catering and dining
services internationally. One of the other sub-companies in the
Compass Group is Chartwells, a corporation which was also a finalist
for the dining contract after the College severed ties with Sodexho-Marriott
last year. Bon Appetits board of directors informed the college
late last week of the impending transaction.
This announcement may have negative effects on students and
administrators thoughts about the dining service for next
year since Bon Appetit was chosen over Chartwells originally because
of the differentiation inquality and variety of the food made available
by each company. However, ResLife has been reassured that no changes
will be implemented either in food preparation or dining hall management
as a result of the acquisition of Bon Appetit by the Compass Group.
It is expected that no changes would take place in the dining services
at Oberlin. He said that the Compass Group has not actually bought
out Bon Appetit, but that it will pay the $155.8 million to the
largest shareholder in the company, a Japanese company called the
Shidax Corporation. Since the Compass Group is not buying the entire
company, Bon Appetit does not anticipate being held answerable to
the Compass Group.
This fact is highly reassuring to those who feel that Bon Appetit
has been an excellent choice for catering in the dining halls. Many
students and administrators alike feel that the company has done
its work well and that there is a much higher level of satisfaction
than in years past with Sodexho-Marriott.
Kim LaFond, Dean and Director of Residential Life and Services,
was very complimentary about the service that Bon Appetit has provided
both from his personal point of view and from the results of surveys
that Residential Life and Services has taken. Bon Appetit was chosen
as Oberlins new dining services provider after administrators
visited both the University of Pennsylvania and Goucher College
and saw that the food quality was very high.
Recommendations from both colleges about the company focused mainly
on the great food, whereas recommendations for Chartwells from Townsend
State University focused on the companys excellent management.
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