The nearly century-old Ahwahnee, seen here in May 2026, is one of the National Park Service’s premier hotels, having hosted such guests as Queen Elizabeth II and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.
Kurtis Alexander/S.F. Chronicle
Yosemite’s famous Ahwahnee hotel recently rolled out a new, prix fixe menu, touting such “refined” dishes as Tagin-infused watermelon and elk tenderloin, starting at $95 a head.
Yet, as the upscale hotel at the base of Half Dome seeks to elevate its dining experience — and its prices — the property is struggling to meet basic food safety standards, park documents show.
The National Park Service’s annual review of Aramark, the company that runs the numerous hotels, restaurants and visitor enterprises at Yosemite National Park, rated the Ahwahnee’s kitchen as “unsatisfactory” for food safety after inspections found repeat and unresolved violations.
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The park service did not immediately provide the inspection reports to the Chronicle, but Aramark’s annual review cited a lack of cleanliness, inadequate refrigeration, broken dishwashers and moldy storage units as problems across Aramark’s dining operations. Employees, meanwhile, have noted the presence of rats in the Ahwahnee’s food and beverage areas as well as dated kitchen facilities that make it harder to properly store, prepare and serve food.
Yosemite officials completed the 2025 review of Philadelphia-based Aramark last month. The evaluation was provided to the Chronicle this week in response to a public records request earlier this year.
The majestic dining room at the Ahwahnee hotel in Yosemite National Park is seen here in May 2026. The National Park Service rated the Ahwahnee’s kitchen as “unsatisfactory” for food safety, as part of a 2025 review.
Kurtis Alexander/S.F. Chronicle
Food safety, according to the review, is not Aramark’s only shortfall. The hospitality giant, which won the lucrative 15-year concessions contract at Yosemite in 2016, underperformed on several fronts, including maintenance of park buildings, providing adequate employee housing and securing food and trash from bears.
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Notably, Aramark’s overall rating of “marginal,” which is one step below “satisfactory,” reflects a pattern of sub-par performance. The prior year, Aramark received an “unsatisfactory” rating, one step below “marginal,” and the company hasn’t had a “satisfactory” score since 2021.
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While Aramark’s low scores are grounds for termination, according to the contract, park officials appear to have little interest in parting ways with the company.
In an April 16 letter from Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden to Aramark, which accompanies the annual review, park officials demand improvements, as they’ve done for the past four years, but they also say they “value our partnership” and “look forward to continuing our work together.”
A park spokesperson said in a statement to the Chronicle that Aramark has shown progress since prior evaluations, demonstrating “the concessioner’s ability to respond to NPS standards.”
The 2025 review gave Aramark high marks in such categories as “risk management,” citing fire prevention work and pest control, and in “asset management,” noting increased infrastructure investment.
“NPS is actively working with the concessioner to address these (lingering) issues and ensure services at Yosemite meet the high expectations of the millions of visitors who experience this park each year,” said park spokesperson Scott Carr.
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Aramark declined to discuss its performance and instead sent an email noting the areas where it received favorable scores yet also recognizing problems.
“The National Park Service’s 2025 Annual Operating Review reflects meaningful improvements made over the past year while identifying opportunities to further strengthen operations,” the email, on behalf of Aramark Destinations, read. “We acknowledge there is still work to be done to achieve a satisfactory rating.”
Under the contract with Yosemite, Aramark is responsible for maintaining and running about a dozen lodging sites, 20 restaurants and snack shops, a half dozen groceries and numerous niche services, from a ski slope to horse stables to a bus system. The operations generate well over $100 million a year, making it the biggest contract in the National Park Service. Yosemite retains a percentage of the proceeds.
The difficulty of carrying out such a wide range of responsibilities, park observers say, partly explains Aramark’s poor performance as well as the park service’s reluctance to oust the company.
“Everyone agrees Aramark has done a terrible job,” said Don Neubacher, former Yosemite superintendent and currently a member of the executive council at the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. “The question is: how do you move forward?”
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Only two companies demonstrated that they could handle Yosemite’s concessions contract when it was put to bid in 2014. Finding a new concessionaire wouldn’t be easy, and such a change could prompt major disruptions at the park. Aramark’s contract, meanwhile, is nearly two-thirds of the way through.
Some believe that staffing cuts and high turnover at the National Park Service under the Trump administration have exacerbated the problem by leaving fewer people in positions to address stubborn issues. The park service has been without a permanent director since January of 2025. The current superintendent at Yosemite started last year.
“I do think the new superintendent has so many balls in the air,” Neubacher said. “With Aramark, he’s got a really tough situation. That doesn’t mean Aramark shouldn’t do better.”
Aramark, which operates globally, runs concessions at sports stadiums, universities and conference centers as well as at several national parks. Two years ago, the company lost its contract at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon because of performance problems.
At Yosemite, the 2025 review says 35 food-safety inspections were conducted at food and beverage sites in the park, identifying several “issues,” including inoperable cooking and refrigeration equipment, dishwasher breakdowns, moldy walk-in coolers, soiled food preparation areas and irregular cleaning of kitchen facilities.
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The Yosemite Valley Lodge Base Camp Eatery joined the Ahwahnee kitchen in receiving the lowest food-safety score of “unsatisfactory.”
The reviewers wrote, “priority attention should be given to addressing deficiencies found in food safety reports, particularly unresolved items unable to be corrected at the time of inspection and repeat items.”
Other problems identified at the Ahwahnee were elevator malfunctions, improper storage of trash and failure to install or replace fixtures, including vanity lights and mirrors.
While some of the critiques appear minor, the nearly century-old Ahwahnee is one of the National Park Service’s premier lodging destinations, having hosted such guests as Queen Elizabeth II and several presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama.
A standard room during summer runs more than $500 a night, with more luxury accommodations going for over $1,000.
The new prix fixe menu in the hotel’s dining room, introduced last month, offers a five-course menu for $95 or a seven-course menu for $125. Wine pairings are an additional $40.
Under Aramark’s management, the Ahwahnee lost its prestigious four-diamond rating from the travel and insurance company AAA in 2019. Past park service reviews of Aramark’s operations at Yosemite have cited rodent infestations at the hotel and chunks of ceiling falling on tables during meal time in the Ahwahnee dining room.
The hotel recently underwent a major seismic retrofit that upgraded the dining room windows and kitchen, among other areas.
Next year, the storied hotel will celebrate its 100th anniversary.