✨Dining

AT StoneRidge (CT) we have a culinary committee that deals with all things related to dining. Fortunately our kitchen staff including Head Chef are very responsive to resident's desires for menu items and cooking style. We have an extensive always available menu - and a section that changes weekly. Being close to the coast, there are always numerous seafood options as well as meat and vegetarian options. The serving staff are fantastic.

The only problem with our food is that it is too good so weight gain can be a challenge

The Friendship Village Chesterfield Residents' Council has a Dietary Committee that meets monthly with the Director of Food & Beverage, the dining rooms manager, and the food purchasing manager. The committee reviews comment cards that are available in the dining locations that have been submitted by residents during the month. Management has been very receptive to suggestions and makes changes to dining requests from residents in both areas of food and venue that are reasonable for most of the entire community and can be accomplished within the annual budget. For situations where the budget is not adequate for any changes, requests have been put forward in the following year's budget requests and in many cases have been included.

My community has a Dining Services Advisory Committee that meets with the manager and sometimes the Chef. There is also a nutritionist. In addition residents interact directly with many of the staff. So there is an established relationship. Certain holiday events are buffets staffed by the line cooks and the Executive Chef works the room chatting with the residents. So the food service is good and residents feel they know the people making their food.

My point here is that relationships mean a lot more than contracts. You want your cooks to feel appreciated and respected. Their pride shows up in how the food is prepared abd presented. Some of our residents offer vegetarian and vegan recipes to the Chef and he tries them.

There is a box for suggestions and comments. I try to use it to commend the things that are done well. Our cooks are consistently good about cooking fish that moist and flavorful, and we let them know its appreciated.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Moderator

There is an easy way to deal with vendors, assuming there is more than one company that could fulfill the job.

You can specify what menu options that your residents want and if the vendor cannot provide those options, find one who can.

Do you have a contract with the vendor -- if yes use whatever terms are in the contract regarding menu options.

If you do not have any specifications in the contract about menu options - then add it to the next contract.

Our circa has an outside dining vendor and while the staff where the rubber meets the road are wonderful and responsive to resident wishes, the chef hired by the outside company continues to add bacon or ham to vegetables and offers menus that lean heavily on "Southern Cooking."

How to ccrcs manage with their own staff and how do ccrcs with an outside vendor make their preferences listened to?

Thanks