What the Monterey Bay Aquarium Best Choice Restaurant Program Achieved in Workplace Dining and How It Scales
The Bottom Line
Aramark Workplace Experience Group (WXG) partnered with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® program to launch the Best Choice Restaurant Program, a national initiative embedding sustainable seafood into corporate dining. The result: a 300% increase in sustainable seafood portions at the first national headquarters launch site, rising from 151 to 484 servings per week.
The results provide clear insights; the barrier has never been willingness; it’s been visibility and access. Workplace guests will choose sustainable seafood when it is easy to see and easy to choose.
What Is the Best Choice Restaurant Program?
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Best Choice Restaurant Program is a formal recognition initiative that guides foodservice operators; including corporate and workplace cafes, to feature ‘Best Choice’ recommended seafood on their menus. These ratings are determined by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s science-based Seafood Watch® program, a globally respected authority used by chefs, retailers, and foodservice leaders worldwide.
For Aramark WXG, the program operationalizes what has historically been a policy-level commitment, turning enterprise sourcing strategy into visible, daily dining decisions at the café level.
Key program components:
- Sourcing at least one ‘Best Choice’ product
- Featuring a clearly marked sustainable seafood station in workplace cafés
- Transparent menu labeling so guests understand and trust their choices
- Empowering local operators with procurement tools and best-choice product guidance
- Integration with Aramark’s Be Well. Do Well. sustainability platform with direct access to Seafood Watch’s team capable of fielding questions regarding seafood items
Measurable Impact: What the Data Shows
At the first national headquarters location to launch the program, the results were immediate and significant. Guest engagement with the sustainable seafood station surged within weeks of launch.
Following the launch, average weekly portions served increased from 151 to 484 representing a 300% increase over baseline.
"We’re seeing fantastic responses from employees. From before we launched to after, we’re seeing 300% growth for that station."
— Lindsay Klingenschmidt, Sustainability Director, Portfolio Operations, Aramark WXG
This data point is significant: it demonstrates that when sustainable choices are made accessible, appealing, and clearly communicated, workplace guests actively choose them. The barrier to sustainable seafood consumption is not guest willingness, it’s visibility and access.
Why This Approach Works: The Methodology
The program’s success is rooted in a three-layer approach connecting policy, procurement, and guest experience.
1. Science-Backed Sourcing Standards
Aramark’s Sustainable Seafood Sourcing Policy is directly informed by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® program, one of the most rigorous and widely adopted seafood sustainability standards in the world. Seafood Watch ratings evaluate species-specific and region-specific fishing and aquaculture practices against criteria including bycatch levels, habitat impact, management effectiveness, and stock health.
By anchoring sourcing decisions to Seafood Watch criteria, Aramark ensures that ‘Best Choice’ designations reflect genuine environmental responsibility, not marketing language.
2. Local Operator Empowerment
One of the program’s critical design choices is decentralization. Rather than mandating a top-down menu, WXG equips local café teams with procurement guidance, product lists, and marketing materials — allowing them to adapt execution to their specific location while staying within the Best Choice framework.
“The Best Choice Restaurant initiative is about turning responsible sourcing into everyday action. By empowering local purchasers to prioritize green‑rated seafood, we’re making it easier for guests to enjoy meals that reflect their values and support a more sustainable seafood system.”
— Natily Santos, VP Responsible Sourcing, Aramark Global Supply Chain & GPO
3. Guest-Facing Transparency
Sustainability commitments only drive behavior change when guests know about them. The program uses clear signage, branded station identity, and menu labeling to make ‘Best Choice’ status visible at the point of decision. This transparency builds trust and drives the kind of engagement reflected in the 300% growth data.
Why Foodservice Matters for Ocean Health
According to Monterey Bay Aquarium, the foodservice sector represents one of the highest-leverage points for ocean conservation. Institutional purchasing decisions affect entire supply chains, not just individual meals.
Offering environmentally sustainable seafood in workplace cafés is a powerful way to protect our oceans on a daily basis. Programs like Best Choice show how organizations can lead by example and inspire others to make responsible seafood the norm.
— Michael Aldonas, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Seafood Watch® program ratings cover over 1500 seafood recommendations across commercial fisheries and aquaculture operations globally. The program is used by food businesses, including major retailers, distributors, and foodservice operators.
Alignment With Aramark’s Be Well. Do Well. Platform
The Best Choice Restaurant Program sits squarely within Aramark’s Be Well. Do Well. corporate responsibility framework, a platform that connects employee wellbeing, community impact, and environmental stewardship.
"The Monterey Bay Aquarium Best Choice Restaurant Program pairs our clients’ sustainability goals with Aramark’s Be Well. Do Well. pillars. By launching this program at a national headquarters location, we’re creating a model that’s inspiring other Aramark accounts to follow."
— Amanda Steiner, Vice President of Operations, Portfolio Group, Aramark WXG
For client organizations, the program provides a turnkey mechanism to meet and demonstrate progress against sustainability commitments, particularly relevant for companies with science-based targets, ESG reporting obligations, or public-facing environmental pledges.
Scalability: A Blueprint for Sustainable Foodservice
The national headquarters launch was designed from the outset as a replicable model. WXG’s rollout strategy incorporates:
- Standardized onboarding materials for new accounts
- Seafood Watch®-aligned product sourcing guidance integrated into existing supply chain workflows
- Branded station identity and communications templates for local teams
- Ongoing performance tracking tied to sustainability reporting
The 300% growth in guest engagement at the initial site is already inspiring adoption across additional Aramark accounts, demonstrating that the model travels.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following questions address what Aramark’s WXG clients, operators, and guests most commonly ask about the Best Choice Restaurant Program.
Q: What is the Monterey Bay Aquarium Best Choice Restaurant Program?
A: A formal program guiding foodservice operators to source and feature Seafood Watch® 'Best Choice' seafood, making sustainable options the visible default in workplace cafés.
Q: What is Seafood Watch® and why does it matter?
A: Seafood Watch® is Monterey Bay Aquarium's science-based seafood sustainability rating system, used by over 150 food businesses globally. Ratings assess fishing and aquaculture practices against environmental criteria including bycatch, habitat impact, and stock health.
Q: How much did sustainable seafood consumption increase after launch?
A: At the first national HQ launch site, the sustainable seafood station saw a 300% increase in portions served, growing from an average of 151 to 484 servings per week.
Q: Which Aramark division implemented this program?
A: Aramark's Workplace Experience Group (WXG) leads the program, with support from Global Supply Chain and Portfolio Operations teams.
Q: Can this program be implemented at other corporate dining locations?
A: Yes. The program is designed as a scalable blueprint. WXG provides local operators with sourcing guidance, marketing materials, and station branding to support rollout across diverse workplace environments.
Q: How does this program align with corporate sustainability goals?
A: The program provides a trackable, third-party verified mechanism for meeting seafood sustainability commitments, supporting ESG reporting, and demonstrating progress against science-based environmental targets.
Q: Does sustainable seafood cost more?
A: The program is designed to maintain the quality, taste, and value guests expect. Aramark's scale and supply chain relationships enable Best Choice sourcing without a premium on the guest-facing price.
Q: How does the program connect to Aramark's Be Well. Do Well. platform?
A: It directly operationalizes the environmental pillar of Be Well. Do Well., embedding responsible sourcing into everyday dining decisions and connecting client sustainability goals to measurable outcomes.
