IN GRAND TASTE® is the cuisine standard at Grand Living. Already well known for the exceptional meals prepared by our executive chefs and other culinary artists, the overall experience our residents receive in our dining venues is equally as extraordinary! Regardless of whether residents are enjoying breakfast in the Café, lunch in the Bistro, or dinner in the formal dining room, they experience our personalized approach each and every time.
Our culinary team views residents as much more than mere quick, daily interactions; they view and treat them as members of their extended family. Team members get to know residents individually – finding out about their families, professions, hobbies, and most cherished memories. As stories are shared, ideas for ways to deliver First Class Happiness® are sparked!
One such conversation between a resident at Grand Living at Bridgewater in Coralville, Iowa, and the dining manager led to such an experience. As the restaurant manager was taking dessert orders one evening, a resident asked if he had ever heard of Raisin Sour Cream pie. The server said he had not, but immediately seized the opportunity to look it up after returning to the kitchen. After speaking with the Executive Chef, they forged a plan to quietly add it on an upcoming menu. When residents saw Raisin Sour Cream pie on the menu, the servers were amazed by the number of residents who ordered it, having no idea how many had grown up eating it. As the desserts were distributed and the servers mingled among the tables, they were met by multiple residents (both male and female) with tears in their eyes as they relayed stories of how the dessert brought back wonderful memories of their own mothers’ cooking.
In addition to touches that remind residents of days gone by, we also enjoying continuing to help them celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other special milestones in their lives. As residents embrace our age-in-community design, some experience memory loss. One culinary member said, “we even have the opportunity to be their memory when they’ve lost track of their favorite foods and how they like their meals prepared.”
What an extraordinary gift we are given to make a difference in the lives of our residents! For the countless lives they have touched as they have worked in factories, fields, and office buildings; raised children; or served in the armed forces, we are given an amazing opportunity to deliver First Class Happiness in our restaurants daily.
Author: Katie Chism, Sales Counselor for Grand Living at Bridgewater
