Dear Benny:
I’ve got an on-campus office function to plan and I need to find a reliable and economically reasonable caterer that can help with the affair. Does Penn Dining provide catering services?
—Full Plate

Dear Full Plate:
We turned to Penn's Business Services Division to find the answer to your question. You’ll be pleased to know that Bon Appétit Catering is the University’s preferred vendor for all catering needs on campus. The company is equipped to provide everything from continental breakfasts to lunch buffets and even cocktail party fare for your office shindig.

You may already know that Bon Appétit is Penn’s food service management company, offering locally produced, made-to-order fresh foods prepared with a commitment to environmental sustainability. The company began working with Penn last year. It was selected by the University because it features meals that are fresh, healthy, flavorful and appealing to diverse tastes, and also because it prepares food in a manner that supports Penn’s Climate Action Plan. Bon Appétit purchases 30 to 35 percent of its food from within 150 miles of Philadelphia.

Bon Appétit’s on-campus catering service specializes in creating customized seasonal menus using local ingredients. This fall, for example, the catering menu will include dishes such as spiced butternut squash bisque, roast salmon fillet with citrus aioli, grilled chicken breast with an apple, oyster mushroom and leek sauté, sautéed brocollini with toasted pistachios, pumpkin cheesecake, spice cookies and other offerings.

Bon Appétit Catering also specializes in kosher meals, as well as entirely sustainable meals that include biodegradable plates, napkins and utensils. You can even host a completely compostable event if you’d like.
To plan your office function, contact Amy Kryzanowski at 215-573-0830 or email amykryz@pobox.upenn.edu.

Got a question for Benny? Send it via e-mail to current@pobox.upenn.edu or via regular mail to the Current, 200 Sansom Place East, 3600 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6106.