Below are food service and catering options that are common for student organization events and meetings. The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) is able to assist student organizations with reviewing options as well as placing and paying for orders whenever needed.
Bon Appetit (Dining Services)
Many events planned by student organizations serve food from as simple as refreshments to as extravagant as a full-service dinner. Food service in all buildings and at all outdoor areas is exclusively granted to Bon Appetit, which is the official dining services provider for SCU.
Catering Over & Under $750
For catering that costs over $750, Bon Appetit has the "right of first refusal" to provide your catering.
- Contact catering@scu.edu at least 14 days prior to your event or meeting to inquire about catering options that may fit your needs and budget.
- If Bon Appetit is not able to provide catering or they grant an exception, then external catering may be requested (see next section below).
For catering that costs $750 or less, external catering may be used and approval from Bon Appetit is not required.
External Catering
If your student organization would like to use external catering for orders more than $750, then the Catering Form is required.
- Keep in mind that by submitting this form you are not automatically approved to use other catering until Bon Appetit approves your request.
- However, if you are approved to use external catering, then you must remit 7.5% of the total catering costs back to Bon Appetit.
Cultural Event Food Service Exemption
If your student organization would like to provide cultural food (not cooked by Bon Appetit) at one of your organization's signature events, then the Cultural Event Food Service Exemption Form is required.
- Keep in mind that by submitting this form you are not automatically approved to use other catering until Bon Appetit approves your request.
- However, if you are approved to use external catering, then you must remit 7.5% of the total catering costs back to Bon Appetit.
- Be sure to review the requirements and restrictions described on the Cultural Event Food Service Exemption Form since your organization must comply with them in order for the request to be approved.
Note: This opportunity for exemption is only for cultural RSOs under the Multicultural Center (MCC) umbrella and may only be used once per academic year per organization.
Food Cooked by Student Organizations
Student organizations may cook their own food only for private potluck events/meetings, bake sales, and events approved by Bon Appetit.
For approved events, student organizations may be required to attend a food safety meeting by Bon Appetit and may be required to cook in the Bon Appetit kitchen while supervised.
Bake Sales & Food Sales
Student organizations may host bake sales and food sales at Benson Memorial Center or other authorized areas of campus as long as the following guidelines are followed:
- Baked goods (i.e. cookies, cakes, brownies, dessert bars, etc) must be made by the organization members, not purchased at a bakery, grocery store, restaurant, catering company, etc. to be resold.
- Food and drinks from restaurants, catering companies, and similar companies may not be sold.
- Food that has a required holding temperature to stay hot or to stay cold (and are not kept at a safe holding temperature) may not be sold.
- No live cooking is permitted while tabling (i.e. all food must be already cooked once tabling begins; reheating is fine as long as any food with cooked meat and eggs are kept at a safe holding temperature until reheated).
- All of the above applies if food is being served for free and also applies at events and meetings (not just at tabling).
- Drinks may not be sold or served for free.
Outdoor Grilling
Grills are available at Alumni Park (outdoor area adjacent to the Locatelli Student Activity Center) and by the sand volleyball courts in front of Dunne, Swig, and McLaughlin-Walsh Halls.
If your student organization would like to do outdoor grilling on other parts of campus, consult your CSI advisor to learn about other options.
Food Trucks
Student organizations may request for food trucks to sell food during events.
- Bon Appetit requires a Catering Form to be completed and approved before any food trucks are invited; submit completed forms to your CSI advisor first for initial approval before it goes to Auxiliary Services for final approval.
- Once approved, each food truck needs to sign the Food Truck Agreement.
- Like external catering, 7.5% of the total sales by each truck must be remitted back to Bon Appetit.
- Food truck parking is not allowed at the following locations:
- The end of Santa Clara Street, nearest to Benson Memorial Center, as this is a fire lane; parking is allowed on the northside of Santa Clara Street facing the Ricard Observatory across from McLaughlin-Walsh Hall.
- Market Street in front of Swig Hall or Benson Memorial Center.
- The Alameda in front of the Bronco Statue, Graham Hall, or Finn Hall.
- Please contact Parking & Transportation Services at transportation@scu.edu to confirm the parking location for your food truck.