Feeding Facebook

JWU grad Josef Desimone rarely gets to cook. He’s too busy  developing cafés for Facebook’s 25 offices around the world — and leading an ever-growing team that prepares 7,000+ meals every weekday.

Josef Desimone '02
“Culinary overlord”
Facebook, Palo Alto, Calif.

Josef’s challenge? To create meals:

• Using locally sourced ingredients
• Cooked from scratch
• Prepared from organic ingredients
• Including vegetarian/vegan options
• Coded for “level of healthiness” and food allergens

“We try not to cycle the same thing. If it’s Cuban for lunch, it’s Vietnamese for dinner. The next day it will be French bistro.”

JWU Alumni at Facebook
For Disimone, choosing JWU was simple. “You had to have a degree if you wanted a real job with any of the big players.”

He often thinks about his time at JWU — because he works with his classmate, executive chef Michael “Dean” Spinks. They met freshman year, and been friends ever since.

“JWU got me into working in nicer, higher-level places,” says Spinks. “And thinking of culinary arts as more of a career than just a job.”

Business of Food Service
Spinks is great with creative with menus, flavors and profiles. Desimone is the systems guy. “I can take any business and make it efficient; less waste, less cost.”

When he takes to the kitchens himself, it’s for board meetings, company meals at Mark Zuckerberg’s home and Facebook’s charity events.

“We’re big about giving back: I don’t mind flying in and cooking. And it’s good exposure for the young guys on my team to get out there and work with chefs.”