Bon Appetit under new management

By Nicole LaPrade

Lori Flashner is the new general manager for Bon Appetit at Santa Clara, becoming the third general manager that Bon Appetit has had since the company took over dining services here in 2000. She comes to Santa Clara after being the general manager for Bon Appetit at Whittier College.

Flashner said that she was attracted to the retail nature of the food service at Santa Clara.

"I'd like to make it so that students feel comfortable to come with ideas," Flashner said. She and her staff are on a more visible comment display for Market Square.

Flashner replaces Cathy Straub, who according to Cary Wheeland, Bon Appetit's regional vice president for southern California, decided to step down and pursue other things.

Wheeland also stated that all rumors regarding Straub being asked to leave were incorrect.

Wheeland also said that he expected Flashner's tenure to be longer than that of Straub and Casey Enarson, Straub's predecessor.

"I wouldn't say that the third general manager in four years is typical, no...Generally we'd love to think that a general manager would be in a position longer term, and because of the decision that was made that Cathy was going to go do something else, we brought in Lori and we expect Lori's tenure to be longer," Wheeland said.

Senior Amy Chan, a fair trade activist who has met with Flashner is pleased that she is here.

"I think she's more open to working with me than Cathy was," she said.

According to Chan, Flashner also met with representatives of the Green Club.

"For me, coming in initially, my main goal was to really open my ears and to open my eyes, and listen to the staff, the management team, to the students, to the client, Santa Clara's administration and staff... and really focus on what I'm hearing so that I can take it back and make the changes and improvements," Flashner said.

"I think that this has been a positive change to bring Lori in, both for customers and the workers-The feedback I've gotten has been very positive both from employees as well as other managers that work there," Wheeland said.

"I think that Santa Clara is absolutely a flagship for Bon Appetit in what we do in our higher education market. And I think that we feel very good about the relationship and the partnership and I think that the administration at Santa Clara feels very good about the relationship as well," Wheeland said.

Bon Appetit services close to 180 locations nationwide. 67 of them are universities.

Contact Nicole LaPrade at (408) 554-4546 or at nlaprade@scu.edu.