How Old Is Bon Appetit Magazine?
Bon Appetit magazine was started in 1956 in Kansas City. The cooking magazine has grown over the years and, as of 2001, reported having nearly eight million readers.
Bon Appetit magazine was started in 1956 by M. Frank Jones in Kansas City. He was the owner, editor, and publisher until 1970. At that time, Bon Appetit was merged with the Pillsbury Company. Four years after that, Knapp Communications bought the magazine. In 1993, Conde Nast Publications bought Knapp Communications and are the current owners of Bon Appetit.
The name of the Bon Appetit magazine comes from the French words “bon” and “appetit”, which when put together mean “good appetite” or “enjoy your meal.” It is published monthly by Conde Nast Publications, Inc. and calls itself a food and entertaining magazine. A yearly subscription is $24.
On Bon Appetit magazine’s Facebook page, the company put “Cook with confidence. Enjoy your food” under the heading “Company Overview.” The magazine has seen a change in style in 2001 to give tips and ideas to the foodie reader which they might have been used to seeing only in a blog format. Some of the sections in the newly-positioned magazine are:
- BA Arsenal
- The Navigator
- The Drink
- The Digital Kitchen
- R. S. V. P.
- Fast, Easy, Fresh
- The Seasonal Cooks
- Prep School
Bon Appetit is one of the most popular cooking magazines in the United States. It tells the reader about cuisine from the four corners of the world. It doesn’t just contain recipes, but also give good advice on wines, travel, and ratings of restaurants.
Their food ideas range from the very simple to dishes for the person with advanced culinary abilities. They cover single dishes to complete holiday meals. The reader is given information of every stage of entertaining, including ways to prep food, tips on shopping, and just the right wine or spirits that will complement the dishes.
Bon Appetit Is the Information Leader
In October of 2009, Bon Appetit magazine started putting the nutritional information on their website. This includes calories, fat, cholesterol, carbs, fiber, sugars, etc. All you need to do is go to the table of contents and click on the title of the recipe.
Also in October of 2009, Conde Nast ceased publication of Gourmet magazine. The magazine was almost 70 years old. Many people had heard that one of the food magazines would be discontinued and many thought it would be Bon Appetit. Gourmet magazine had longer articles and was had a more classical format than Bon Appetit, which has shorter articles and more vibrant illustrations.
Bon Appetit magazine’s editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild stepped down at the end of 2010. Fairchild had been with the magazine for 32 years and was the editor for the last 10 years. The new editor of the magazine is Adam Rapoport who was previously Style Editor at Condé Nast's GQ magazine. Conde Nast Publications will be moving the headquarters for the magazine from Los Angeles to New York City where it headquarters the rest of its magazines.
Bon Appetit magazine opened the Bon Appetit Cafe in New York City in September of 2010. The restaurant is located at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, New York. The idea behind the cafe is to bring together food and fashion. Celebrity chefs prepare dishes that are inspired by the latest styles of the season. The cafe serves breakfast and lunch, and has a wine bar with small plates in the evening. Bon Appetit Cafe is open to the public and no reservations are required.