As the only food service provider at Whitman, Bon Appétit has a big effect on the health and happiness of students, especially first-years and sophomores. Although it may seem as if food just appears in the dining halls and in Reid, the options provided by Bon Appétit are a result of careful decisions as the company navigates between factors such as health, student preferences and environmental concerns.

“We try to teach people to eat properly,” said Christian Chemin, executive chef.

Bon Appétit attempts to offer a variety of healthy, environmentally-friendly food choices, but that doesn’t mean students have to take them. For example, there are always hamburgers and pizzas available in Reid.

“We want to make sure we satisfy everyone,” said Chemin.

One way the company attempts to cater to all tastes is through diversity; besides the grilled burgers and pizza in Reid, the two larger dining halls have different focuses. The Prentiss dining hall focuses on vegetarian options, while the Jewett dining hall focuses on more meat-heavy meals.

“The demographics of the two halls are different,” said Roger Edens, the general manager of Bon Appétit at Whitman. “There are more first years over near Jewett, and more women near Prentiss. There are far more vegetarians and vegans [who eat in Prentiss] than in Jewett. I think the first-year male students you find at Jewett are looking for more meat. As they become second years, some rethink what they eat and some don’t.”

Chemin said that he worked with a group of vegan students to craft a plan for vegan options the first year he worked at Whitman. Chemin is in charge of the menu in Prentiss dining hall, creating all the recipes from scratch before cooking.

“We don’t use corporate recipes, so it’s not going to be the same every time,” said Edens.

Sophomore Carolyn Hart, however, feels that Bon Appétit could design more meals that are filling, yet also healthy. She doesn’t always enjoy the taste of the strictly healthy meal options.

“Here I tend to go between the extremes. There’s opportunity to eat healthy food, but at the same time it’s easy to eat unhealthily,” she said.

Whether the chicken served by Bon Appétit is fried or roasted, it must pass rigorous requirements. Bon Appétit has strict rules regarding chicken, beef and eggs, and attempts to buy locally-grown foods as often as possible. The poultry and beef served were raised without the use of antibiotics, while eggs come from free-range chicken.

Bon Appétit also limits the purchase of tropical fruit, like bananas, because of the carbon emitted when the fruit is transported up to temperate Walla Walla and because many types of fruit, like bananas, have an inedible peel that increases food waste. While bananas can sometimes be found in the dining halls, they are not sold in Reid.

Bon Appétit refuses to buy any food that has been air-freighted, as transporting food by airplane also causes a larger volume of carbon emissions.

“In addition to that we’re looking at sustainability and local purchasing,” said Edens.

While Walla Walla is in an agricultural area, not everything can be gained locally. Even the local apples from Milton-Freewater run out in January, according to Edens. On the other hand, the local strawberries used in smoothies and on waffles can be used all year because they are frozen. Bon Appétit continues to develop their local purchasing program, while attempting to serve a wide variety of foods. After all, more than half the Whitman student body relies on a meal plan: the challenge   lies in satisfying the needs and desires of as many students as possible.