Senior dwelling operators should get artistic and produce new menus to the desk as they refresh culinary applications to satisfy the demand for older adults.
Older adults are coming to communities with broadened tastes whereas wanting new flavors. However there’s a definite stability that operators should discover in offering the “staples” and “consolation meals” residents know and love with mixing new flavors for brand spanking new dishes as a way to please residents from a number of generations.
“We feed a spread of ages, from 65 to 90 and up, and the most important distinction that we see in a few of our ‘tremendous agers’ and new residents is seasonal meals,” mentioned The Springs Dwelling Director of Meals and Beverage Technique Jake Johnson throughout the 2025 DISHED convention in Atlanta. “We’re making an attempt to stability these two segments with consolation meals and stylish life-style choices—that’s our largest problem.”
Right now and tomorrow’s senior dwelling eating menus have gotten extra personalised and versatile by mixing worldwide dishes with acquainted favorites.
These adjustments have allowed operators to make use of their eating applications to attach extra intently with residents via open-kitchens and extra nimble menus that may change every day, weekly and alter with the seasons all year long.
McMinnville, Oregon-based The Springs Dwelling and Dallas, Texas-based The Sage Oak are two operators which are making shifts to how they develop menus for the following era of senior dwelling prospects.
Prospects of tomorrow ‘need to thrive, not simply survive’
Central to leveraging a senior dwelling eating program to its biggest potential is personalization and adaptability in menu design, permitting for rotating menus based mostly on seasonal produce availability.
This flexibility is all within the title of serving to residents enhance their high quality of life as soon as they transfer right into a group, demanding a brand new restaurant-style expertise, in keeping with Sage Oak Govt Chef Larry Atwater.
“Prospects of tomorrow need to thrive, not simply survive,” Atwater mentioned throughout the 2025 DISHED convention in Atlanta. “They need interactive eating with that chef’s kiss they usually need restaurant-quality meals with a home-like really feel, together with flexibility and personalization.”
Tbar Productions on behalf of WTWH Media Tbar Productions on behalf of WTWH MediaBy creating stability between traditional dishes and new fare, Atwater mentioned Sage Oak cooks look to take traditional dishes and “elevate them” as a way to pair familiarity with one thing new.
With Sage Oak’s small-home mannequin with in-home kitchens, Sage Oak cooks put together meals for residents whereas they appear on, giving “instant suggestions.” This intimate setting permits Sage Oak to personalize menus, adhering to resident tastes or dietary restrictions.
Throughout communities for The Springs Dwelling, cooks create their very own menus working from a playbook to decide on every day and weekly specials, together with the flexibility to make month-to-month adjustments based mostly on seasonal availability for produce, emphasizing native components when in a position, in keeping with Johnson.
“We’re a chef-driven firm and we don’t push down company menus,” Johnson mentioned.
Each Atwater and Johnson mentioned operators should take into account making menus revolving round wholesome, plant-forward choices to enhance high quality of life for residents. Sage Oak communities depend on leafy greens, contemporary greens and incorporating points of the Mediterranean food plan for menu inspiration.
However one other key component of menu improvement have to be the design and vocabulary utilized in menus so residents get clear explanations of components that can find yourself on their plates, Johnson pressured.
This push goals to reframe wholesome consuming as new choices, in a position to provide meals starting from grain bowls with a low-fat protein to a smashburger. Thus, they’re able to provide meals which are both recognizable or a brand new expertise.
Creating “wow moments” via eating, like internet hosting particular dinner occasions or unique, small-ticket, multi-course meals can generate income and broaden choices for residents and their households, Johnson mentioned.
“It offers you the chance to open the door to share totally different flavors that aren’t simply meat and potatoes to the people who find themselves consuming that and vice versa,” Johnson mentioned. “It’s a spot to share and have group collectively and it helps deliver that stability.”
For instance, a group has a gifted sushi chef, so leaders organized a pop-up sushi bar as a weekly occasion to deliver new flavors to residents, Johnson mentioned.
Challenges in hiring ‘proper’ culinary groups, balancing prices
Senior dwelling operators have spent current years trying to unravel staffing challenges on retention, turnover and recruitment. Whereas hiring is less complicated in the present day, discovering certified candidates that match a group’s mission and tradition continues to be a problem.
Senior dwelling operators should permit culinary leaders to have flexibility of their spending, placing “high quality first,” whereas remaining fiscally accountable, Atwater pressured.
Profitable culinary groups within the coming years will construct culinary methods that may be environment friendly in menu improvement, execution in front-of-house service and meal preparation with out requiring further workers, Johnson mentioned.
“Establish what wants to vary every day, weekly, month-to-month, and even quarterly, and actually give attention to the themes for every week or month,” Johnson mentioned. “That focus helps information operators and cooks and makes writing menus way more environment friendly.”
Within the final two years, The Springs Dwelling has opened two new properties, the latest being a luxurious waterfront property alongside the Vancouver River in Vancouver, Washington that has attracted a youthful resident base between ages 68 to 72 to-date, Johnson mentioned. To be able to “stage up” its eating program, the Springs Dwelling employed two consultants to help in branding and improvement of processes that might guarantee future culinary success.
“If we rent proper, we let the working group handle the deliverables throughout the group and mix some innovation into that,” Johnson mentioned.
Workers coaching is essential when bringing longtime restaurant workers right into a senior dwelling surroundings to emphasise hospitality, each leaders mentioned. One other necessary component in hiring is discovering candidates which have personalities in a position to work together seamlessly with residents is necessary as a result of culinary workers should get to know residents on a private stage, Atwater mentioned.
“They should have a persona the place they’re interacting with residents and members of the family daily,” Atwater mentioned. “Fingers-on coaching is essential to establishing the extent of service that we provide.”
Wanting forward, Atwater mentioned he thinks menus can be “utterly personalised” with elevated consolation meals and worldwide dishes by personal cooks in an open kitchen format.
“It’s going to be about turning all these meals into memorable moments,” Atwater mentioned.
Sooner or later, Johnson sees operators constructing allergen-based menus, like gluten free menus or wheat-free menus and write menus which are “inclusive for everyone.”
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