Georgetown University should send the request for proposal for the Capitol Campus to DC Central Kitchen and refuse to sign with Aramark or Sodexo.
This matters now because students, staff, and the wider Georgetown community deserve a dining contractor that can provide safe, reliable, and ethically responsible service. Aramark and Sodexo have faced numerous complaints tied to inadequate sanitation, poor allergen labeling, and supply chains that include prison labor. When a campus contract puts basic food safety and clear labeling at risk, the people who eat there are the ones who carry the consequences.
On a campus where many people rely on every meal being safe and clearly labeled, Georgetown cannot treat this as a routine procurement decision. If the university chooses a contractor with repeated concerns around sanitation and allergens, students with allergies, dietary restrictions, and families who trust the campus food service may face avoidable risks. The university also has a responsibility to align its purchasing with the values it publicly claims to uphold.
The solution is straightforward: Georgetown should direct the Capitol Campus RFP to DC Central Kitchen, a provider with a community-based model and a stronger fit for a campus that wants accountability, transparency, and local benefit. The university should not extend or award the contract to Aramark or Sodexo, and it should make that decision before any final signing for the Capitol Campus dining service.
Georgetown’s decision should reflect more than convenience or the lowest bid. It should protect the people who will eat the food, support a cleaner and more transparent supply chain, and choose a contractor that better matches the university’s standards and responsibilities.