Food has an important role to play in building culture and community on campus. Whitman and Bon Appétit Management Company are dedicated to ensuring that every student receives delicious meals that meet their dietary needs and that all students feel welcome and safe when dining with us.
What does the cost of the meal plan cover?
The cost of your meal plan allows us to serve meals that meet rigorous standards of sustainability, so you are guaranteed the freshest local and ethically produced foods, which are cooked from scratch by our chefs every day. Thirty percent of our ingredients come from local farmers and makers like Carmen Ranch, Frog Hollow Farm, Hayshaker Farm, Klicker Strawberry Acres, Pure Country Pork, Schreiber Farms, Shepherd’s Grain, Walla Walla Bread Company, Walla Walla Cheese Company, and Umipine Creamery.
We take great pride in sourcing our food in a socially responsible manner. This includes pork from sows raised in group housing, instead of inhumane gestation crates, as well as Certified Humane vegetarian-fed ground beef and cage-free eggs. Our turkey and chicken are raised without routinely being given antibiotics and all of our dairy products are sourced from dairies that do not use artificial hormones. Our seafood purchases follow the sustainability guidelines of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. We keep pricing down by utilizing batch cooking to keep food fresh and reduce waste.
In addition to covering the costs of a unique on-site restaurant experience, your meal plan covers kitchen equipment maintenance, administrative costs, and service fees.
Why are we paying for equipment, administrative costs, and service fees in addition to the regular food costs?
A meal plan at Whitman College not only provides you with socially responsible, made-from-scratch food with numerous options for all eaters, including those with special dietary restrictions, but also supports state of the art facilities meeting LEED gold certification standards with LED lighting, solar panels, and water conservation systems. The Cleveland Commons is a 25,000-square-foot communal space that features a food hall with state-of-the-art kitchens featuring a one-of-a-kind sushi and noodle bar, a pizza oven, and stations to cook up global foods, salads, soups, comfort foods, and more. This space requires upkeep and maintenance, which translates into additional costs.
In conjunction with Whitman College, we operate this food hall-style café like a restaurant, meaning that your meal plan covers not only food costs but also maintenance of the kitchen space, management of our team members and student employees, and regular operating expenses — just as the cost of any meal in a restaurant would. All of the fees you are charged help to ensure that we can continue to operate our dining facilities in a way that provides extraordinary food and service to Whitman students.
Why don’t Flex Dollars roll over from year to year?
Unlike restaurants whose number of guests vary, Bon Appétit must ensure we always have enough ingredients for all meals for all students. These ingredients are cooked throughout meal period in small batches to ensure that fresh meals are readily available. Because we must be prepared to feed all students on campus, it is not feasible for Flex Dollars to roll over from year to year.
What are the benefits of a meal plan?
- Makes Life Easier
- It’s Convenient
- From Scratch = Flexible
- It’s Healthier
- Satisfying Options
- Seriously Sustainable
- Knowledge is Power’ Returning to Community
- Safety is Still Essential