# Fedele Bauccio

> Fedele Bauccio is co-founder and CEO of Bon Appetit Management Company, the Redwood City onsite restaurant operator that runs more than 1,000 cafes for universities, corporations and museums in 33 states. He built the business in 1987 on a then-heretical pitch - hire trained chefs to cook from scratch for cafeteria diners - and turned it into the contract food industry's most outspoken laboratory for local sourcing, animal welfare and farmworker rights.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO, Bon Appetit Management Company
- **Organizations:** Bon Appetit Management Company, Compass Group USA, Saga Corporation (former), Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (former)
- **From:** New York, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BBA, Economics, University of Portland, MBA, University of Portland, Honorary Doctorate, University of Portland
- **Known for:** Co-founded Bon Appetit Management Company (1987), Built operator of 1,000+ cafes serving over 200 million meals annually, James Beard Foundation inaugural Leadership Award

## Career timeline

- **1960** — Starts as dishwasher in University of Portland food service while a freshman
- **1964-1966** — Earns economics degree and MBA at University of Portland
- **1960s-80s** — Rises through Saga Corporation to Divisional President and President of Specialty Foodservices Group
- **1987** — Co-founds Bon Appetit Management Company with Ernie Collins in Palo Alto
- **1999** — Launches Farm to Fork - 20% sourced from small farms within 150 miles
- **2002** — Bon Appetit acquired by Compass Group; Bauccio stays on as CEO
- **2005** — First contract company to commit to cage-free shell eggs
- **2006-2008** — Serves on Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production
- **2012** — Adopts Fair Food Program standards with Coalition of Immokalee Workers
- **2014** — Wins EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Retail & Consumer Products award
- **2018** — Receives inaugural James Beard Foundation Leadership Award alongside Michelle Obama
- **2023** — Honored by the President of Italy and Italian Consul General

## Achievements

- Co-founded Bon Appetit Management Company (1987)
- Built operator of 1,000+ cafes serving over 200 million meals annually
- James Beard Foundation inaugural Leadership Award
- EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 - National Retail and Consumer Products
- IACP Lifetime Achievement Award
- Nation's Restaurant News 2008 Innovator of the Year
- Honorary doctorate, University of Portland (2004)
- Honored by the President of Italy (2023)

## Latest updates

- **2023-04** — Profiled in Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development on his sustainability career.
- **2023-01** — Honored by the President of Italy and Italian Consul General for his contributions to food and Italian-American heritage.

## Links

- Website: https://www.bamco.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fedelebauccio
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bamco
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonappetitmgt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fedele.bauccio/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/fedele-bauccio
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-30