Creating Your Residents’ Favorite Dining Destinations

Open, inviting spaces that offer flexible dining options pave the way to create your residents’ favorite dining destination and supports increased marketing of hospitality to prospective residents.

Take a look at the dining space transformation the Morrison Living team did as a partner with Hoosier Village in Indiana which was featured as an Innovator of the Month in Food Management Magazine.

“We really wanted to open the space up and give flexibility to our residents by turning the area into a multi-function/multi-use venue,” says Mark Perry, Director of Dining Services. “The space now gives residents the option to get breakfast and lunch with table service in the bistro, or just get a grab and go meal or snack to take away.”

“When we designed it, we opened up the whole lobby service area, which used to be a closed in space, but we thought it was important to see the entire dining complex as you enter,” Perry notes.

It allows Morrison to maximize staffing, production and service efficiency while giving residents personal service. “Interaction between residents and our staff is one of the best things about our business and something both we and the residents wanted to continue,” Perry comments.

“Renovation planning began in 2019 but hit obstacles when the pandemic struck in early 2020. However, the project continued under the tight constraints,” said Phillip Dobson, SVP of Retail & Design for CCL Hospitality Group.

We put more resources on the job from a corporate level from our side to help get ready. Then, the community had its own challenges in where they were in the pandemic cycle. It didn’t go exactly as planned, but it wasn’t horribly delayed either. You just had to be very flexible.

Phillip Dopson
SVP, Retail & Design | CCL Hospitality Group

It has been operating more or less as originally conceived since its opening has been received well. We’ve been very busy in the dining rooms because the majority of residents do come down. Breakfast is a bit slower, but we pick up at lunch and the dinner service is one of our bigger meals. The residents have commented on how nice and inviting the space is. It had been a tough year and there have been challenges we’ve had to face, but this has been a very welcome addition to come back to.

Mark Perry
Director of Dining Services | Hoosier Village in Indiana

These types of transformation provide what are often much-need opportunities to increase efficiency for staffing, production and service while enhancing personal interactions with guests which is key to how we make great first and lasting impressions.

This article first appeared in Food Management Magazine.