Editors Note: The Beacon has updated this story for balance and fairness, and will continue to follow this story.
As students danced through the decades at the Crystal Ballroom late Saturday night, small sheets of paper were slipped under residence hall doors across campus, listing steps for interested students to sign a petition to remove Bon Appétit as the sole campus food provider.
The link on the note takes you to a page where students can sign the petition and leave comments. Linked within the petition was a four-page Google document detailing a variety of grievances students have with the current food provider, including poor food quality and health standards, high prices for small portions, long wait times and stale menus.
“The Bon Appetit petition looks to remove Bon Appetit as the only food service provider,” the page explains, “and replace it with an alternative company that will treat students right.”
The note also included a link to the movement’s Twitter page where students are encouraged to voice questions or concerns by DMing the account.
“Bon Appetit knows that many students are confined on campus and that they are the only food service provider,” the page states. “They take advantage of this to exploit students like you and me.”
Bon Appetit District Manager Marc Marelich said the petition was not the most effective way of providing feedback to the food supplier.
"“It’s not our preferred way of taking feedback or getting comments," Marelich said. "We have lots of other venues and ways for folks to reach us. We prefer the face to face interaction and our other feedback methods such as the website, email is great. That personal interaction is really probably the best way to receive it.”
Senior organizational communication major Marie Jobes has worked for Bon Appetit for the last four years, and feels that the petition unfairly represents UP’s food provider.
“The anonymous petition and digs at Bon Appetit and its hardworking, dedicated staff infuriate me," Jobes said. "As a senior, working at Bon Appetit for the past four years, I have actually seen and experienced how hard the company and the staff work to provide three meals a day, seven days a week for all of the students.”
It is not clear who created the petition or how many students have signed it. The Beacon will continue to follow this story.
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