NATIONAL HARBOR MD. Bon Appétit Management Co. and a leading proponent of sustainable food sources in the contract foodservice sector, has been selected by Nation’s Restaurant News as its 2008 Innovator Award winner. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
The co-founder of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Bon Appétit will be honored during NRN’s 49th annual Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference, MUFSO, to be held Oct. 12-15 at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., just outside Washington, D.C. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
The award recognizes an individual whose innovative thinking and practical application of new ideas have helped advance the industry and benefited its customers. It will be presented to Bauccio during the MUFSO Awards Banquet, sponsored by American Express. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
In launching Bon Appétit in 1987, Bauccio recognized the potential for business development in the upper end of the contract foodservice sector, and he positioned the company as a leader in its field. He went on to establish some of today’s most forward-looking practices. He was among the first operators to have trained chefs in each dining room, giving on-site customers a commercial restaurant experience. He also was one of the first to provide exhibition-style cooking. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
In another groundbreaking move, Bauccio encouraged his chefs to purchase their foods locally and create their own menus, which previously was rarely done in the on-site industry. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
Last April, Bon Appétit made news by launching a Low Carbon Diet aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the company’s foodservice operations. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
Also under Bauccio’s leadership, Bon Appétit, a division of Compass Group North America, has been a major proponent of sourcing sustainably harvested seafood. By partnering with the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and its Seafood Watch Program, Compass Group became the pilot for purchasing seafood that’s on Seafood Watch’s green and yellow lists of preferred sources. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
Mike Sutton, vice president of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, said Bauccio has been influential in a decade-long effort to foster seafood conservation, leading up to an almost simultaneous commitment two years ago by Compass Group and Walmart to buy seafood only from sustainable fisheries. “Fedele and other leaders really helped set off a revolution in the foodservice industry with their commitment to sustainable seafood,” Sutton said. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
Tom Larranaga, publisher of Nation’s Restaurant News, said: “Years before the green movement and focus on sustainability were widely practiced, Fedele Bauccio was taking his company in these directions. He is a man ahead of his time with a list of innovations that is truly remarkable. We congratulate him on the Innovator Award and look forward to honoring him at MUFSO.” —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
Bauccio can also be seen as a role model for career development from humble beginnings. While a student at the University of Portland in Washington in 1960, he joined Saga Corp.’s Education Division as a dishwasher. He graduated in 1964 with a degree in economics and received a master’s degree in business administration in 1966. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
In 1972, Bauccio transferred to Saga’s Business Food Service Division, and became its president in 1978. In 1982 he was named president of Saga’s Specialty Foodservices Group, comprising the Business Food Service arm and three successful restaurant concepts. He became president of the Stuart Anderson’s steakhouse chain in 1985. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
In addition to his role as Bon Appétit’s CEO, Bauccio is a member of Compass Group’s board of directors. He also serves on the board of Dynamic Payment Ventures in San Francisco, and is chairman of the University of San Francisco Hospitality Management board, while also serving on the President’s Advisory Council at the University of Portland. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Portland and is a 1985 graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Graduate School of Business. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
In 1998 he was honored by Nation’s Restaurant News with a Golden Chain Award. —Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of
For information about MUFSO and to register, call (212) 756-5201 or visit