Penn Dining kicked off its annual Employee Appreciation Week on Monday.
The department has organized celebratory experiences for dining staff and is offering opportunities for the Penn community to leave appreciative messages for the team. According to a Monday email, Penn Dining will have “Thank-You Stations” in campus cafes from March 16 to March 20 — featuring “appreciation boards” and drop boxes where guests can leave cards.
“The appreciation coming directly from our guests is the most impactful,” Steven Green, director of operations at Bon Appétit Management Company — the catering company contracted by Penn — told The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Dining guests can also leave a comment for employees via Penn Dining’s website.
Green explained that Penn Dining wanted to incorporate student input because they are “most impactful” to its staff — many of whom are “dedicated” and “long-term” employees. He added that the organization is hosting raffles with prizes for employees, giving staff Employee Appreciation Week merchandise, and holding a photo booth to commemorate the occasion.
Penn Dining aims to take staff and guest opinions into consideration when planning Employee Appreciation Week, according to Green. Employee Appreciation Week programming “shifts a little bit” each year based on the feedback received.
The organization’s reception of community feedback builds upon its ongoing initiative to introduce a wider selection of healthy beverage options to its meal exchange program in Houston Market.
The fall 2025 program brought options such as orange juice, apple juice, and milk to Houston. Other Penn Dining locations, including Hill House and 1920 Commons, have implemented similar health-conscious efforts.
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At the time, Green told the DP that the University’s efforts to introduce healthier, non-carbonated beverages are not exclusive to meal exchange vendors.
“We’re always looking at the full program and how to improve based on the feedback we receive,” Green said.
On March 17, Penn Dining highlighted a cook at Falk Dining Commons in Steinhardt Hall as one member of its “stellar staff” on the organization’s Instagram page.
Penn Dining will also host an annual end-of-year barbecue for staff in May.
