Margaret BauerEverybody eats. But many students do not prepare their own meals: that’s what Bon App‚tit is for – that’s what our $3000-$4650 meal plans are for. Some students, however, have found that they can take part in both sides of the counter. Bon App‚tit’s payroll includes a number of students, neigh, Wash U students.
Walking across campus, you would likely spot a flier or two offering jobs. Bon App‚tit has its own, which caught the eye of senior Rishi Rattan.
“I became interested in it because they were looking to hire some student workers,” said Rattan, “and [a flier] said flexible hours and free meals.”
“I went into the Bon App‚tit office at Wohl and filled out an application,” he continued, “I was hired through the normal job application process. This wasn’t work study or anything.”
And so Rattan found himself on the other side of the counter for a change. He’s been working for Bon App‚tit for two years now. Happily.
In his own words: “I like it. It’s a lot of fun. It’s one of the best jobs: it’s on campus so it’s easy to get to; the pay is decent; and you get free food.”
Sophomore Sam Duby, another student who works for Bon App‚tit, agrees.
“I think it’s actually relaxing,” said Sam, “it’s something that allows you to interact with people and see people when they’re having a good time. It’s actually a lot of fun to interact with my coworkers. They’re quite a different group of people than the students.”
Both of these students work at Ursa’s, a relatively popular venue for hungry students. Some might think the pressure of handling long lines of students would be stressful, but Rattan views it a little differently.
“At Ursa’s, because it’s a high traffic area, I see a lot of people or I can meet a lot of people,” he explains, “The workers are really cool and it’s a social environment. The manager at Ursa’s, Richard Poe, is very fun to work with.”
Although work can be fun, Duby found that it can be equally draining. He has developed a new respect for Bon App‚tit employees.
“Working there gives you a lot of respect for what they do,” said Duby. “I think a lot of people expect [their food] to be perfect every time – but what they fail to realize that those people are standing there for eight hours and are doing it all day. More often than not, the individuals who make a mistake don’t do it intentionally. One thing that surprised me was that even some of the students who knew I was a student were very impatient and didn’t want to sit there and wait the extra 10 seconds [when I was being trained].”
Student satisfaction ranks high on Bon App‚tit’s list of priorities. Rattan has noticed that employees’ moods are greatly impacted by the managerial styles of their supervisors, and that student impressions of eateries are impacted by employees’ moods. Bon App‚tit apparently noticed this as well.
“Bon App‚tit does a really good job with hiring good supervisors who are on the line, [who work on shift] and that creates a great environment for workers and students. Richard, Connie and Kim are definitely examples of that,” Rattan continued, “[Connie and Kim] made [The Village] a great environment because they were relaxed and weren’t very authoritarian. So the people under them were also happier and the students got a much more fun environment.”
While working for Bon App‚tit is a good job in and of itself, there are a few additional perks. Workers receive $6 of credit to be used towards a meal for each 8-hour shift. The company also has a program where it pays up to $50 towards the purchase of sneakers. Bon App‚tit recommends a line of Sketchers with soles that are made of tire rubber, which better grips the slippery ground near smoothie machines and soda dispensers.
The best perk by far, however, is that of flexibility. Duby explains that “the company does a very good job with accommodating students. […] I’ve had no problem telling them I need to leave work to study for an exam or participate in classes. They’re all really understanding that the students who work there all come to Washington University as students and that that’s [a student’s] first priority.”