In an industry where mission and profit are an ongoing balance, changing the meal plan among the elderly may require substantial upfront costs.
However, providers who pay attention to details when adding dining locations and services can achieve a triumphant return on investment, improve operations, and provide sales and marketing teams with some new content to build recommendation channels.
Take The Clare, a 53-story Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) located in the city center, as an example. The community is jointly owned by Des Moines, Iowa, LCS, a senior living company, and Senior Care Development in Harrison, New York. In 2015, the Clare Hotel (Clare) exited bankruptcy with a 40% occupancy rate, striving to distinguish itself from its traditional multi-family competitors, with its dining venues (a restaurant on the 17th floor and a small cafe on the 12th floor) Operating at full capacity.
Executive Director Kyle Exline said in a discussion at a recent DISHED conference held by Advanced Housing News that the leadership believes that the expansion of catering services is an area that, if developed properly, can help to make the community full stand out which could make it a marketing asset and creates long-term value.
The Clare Tavern expanded the tavern into an exterior courtyard. A thorough overhaul of the restaurant Grafton, including a complete service bar; and a special event and kitchen space on the top floor. Each venue has its menu, staff, and uniforms-creating a unique look for each venue.
Today, Clare is almost overcrowded, with an extensive list of potential hospitality, and Exline believes that the dining overhaul is the key to success. The leadership is looking for ways to adapt the site to the post-coronavirus environment.
Overhaul
The overhaul of the dining plan is part of Claire’s multi-million dollar renovation project initiated by previous ownership after CRCC went bankrupt. The most expensive part of the renovation is the extension and expansion of the tavern.
This requires removing load-bearing walls to create more space and maintain the building’s structural integrity.
In addition to maintaining structural integrity, the ownership also recruited an interior designer with reception experience to upgrade the finishes and give the tavern a more sense of living.
The Bistro is Clare’s cheapest restaurant, serving lunch and dinner. Grafton is more like a steakhouse. The unique event space is high-end, equipped with a sophisticated kitchen, suitable for gatherings of 20 to 25 people. Grafton (Grafton) and event spaces are equipped with a complete service bar, which requires The Clare to obtain a liquor license.
Exline pointed out that every place has its own experience and feeling. The price of a piece of meat served on the 17th floor is $20 to $30 higher on the 53rd floor, partly because of the service provided to provide a high-end dining experience.
Basic Resident Input
Clare’s restaurant renovation project would be futile without authorization for the overhaul. At first glance, this is harder than it looks.
Clare implemented a Mediterranean-style menu in the tavern and achieved many successes-residents realized that the diet was healthier and cleaner. This inspired the creation of executive chef Hagop Hagopian, allowing them to choose menu items among the daily specials. Soon, these dishes sold better than the main dishes, and Exline used this as an example of a meal plan willing to try new things.
Clare’s dining plan now reflects its residents’ life experience, most of whom travel the world, dine in some of the best restaurants and hotels, and expect them to enjoy the same service in their golden age.
The Lessons That Were Learned
Trial brings errors, and Exline hopes The Clare can solve some problems.
The biggest lesson is to think more about elevator traffic. When there are multiple dining areas on three different floors will increase traffic congestion and complicate logistics. Initially, the staff thought breakfast could be served on the 53rd floor, lunch in the restaurant, and dinner on the 17th floor. The leadership quickly realized the need to consolidate service hours and products in each location.
He also pointed out that if he did this, Claire would have allocated more space for refrigerators, freezers, and storage rooms, a significant problem of Covid-19. Due to the public restaurant’s preservation, the venue on the 53rd floor became a mail sorting room, and the restaurant became a staff lounge.
The pandemic disrupted Claire’s dining plan in other ways. Residents can enjoy eating in person in the summer. Still, the continued increase in Covid-19 positive cases has worsened the situation, forcing Hagopian and his staff to seek ways to continue delivering quality food through delivery.
Clare revised the menu and used service software to ensure that the food was warmly delivered to the residents. The dining menu still includes 30 to 40 kinds of food, allowing residents to choose various foods.
The most challenging modification is maintaining community dining’s sociality while limiting the number of groups and protecting public areas. The bartenders patrol the residents’ rooms every night. During Thanksgiving, Clare implemented a one-day dinner service to distribute different menu items to residents every hour for up to six hours.
In an environment that is not conducive to its development, The Clare has adopted the following two methods to maintain luxury goods.
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