SUITING EVERY TASTE “These two elements are pronounced


when customers have a high visit frequency of local, on-site, dining operations provided for a community,” such as in senior living or higher education, Wiese says. An important component of personal-


ization is aligning menus with residents’ cultures. The Plaza Assisted Living commu- nities, for instance, off ers choices that refl ect the cultural diversity of Hawaii’s residents. “Japanese, Hawaiian, Korean, Filipino, and American cuisines are commonplace and expected in our communities,” Me- deiros says. “When building menus, it is important


that all cuisines are included, and recipes are executed correctly. This carries over outside of the dining room and includes snacks and food during activities.”


Maintaining cost effi ciencies Personalization adds complexity to a com- munity’s dining program, and complexity increases cost, Wiese points out. However, technology can help address one of the trickiest cost-related challenges customiza- tion creates for communities. “With a greater selection of foods, dining


venues, and events, it may be diffi cult for chefs to forecast exactly how much food to order and prepare,” Williams says. “This can lead to over-purchasing and


overproduction which aff ects budget nega- tively. As in restaurants, we are seeing the use of tablets and point-of-service (POS) systems to track what residents are order- ing and what are the most popular items. This is a signifi cant tool in forecasting food production.” The eMenuCHOICE system, a web-


based POS dining application for senior living, is among those off ering the capability to track orders and develop forecasts based on data. Chefs can use the information to develop menus that fi t their customers’ preferences. “You can control your costs while off er- ing more choices, which is where people


are trying to get to these days,” says Matt Stenerson, co-founder and CTO of eMenuCHOICE. The Plaza Assisted Living recently con-


verted to a POS system in the dining room and on the care fl oors that allows residents to customize their starters, entrees, and desserts with alternative menu items and condiments. In addition to customization, the system


provides ease of ordering for residents and increased effi ciency for staff . “Satisfying everyone at the same time is a


challenge,” Medeiros says. “If we only have to satisfy one resident, this would be easy, but making a couple hundred residents feel special and personalized is a bit tougher.”


Integrating healthy choices With trends in senior living shifting from a hospitality and service model toward one of health and wellness, personalized nutrition becomes a central responsibility for com- munities, says Travis Palmquist, vice presi- dent and general manager, Senior Living, PointClickCare. “Operators need to be able to provide cus-


tomized dining and diet options to help their residents thrive while living with chronic and complex conditions,” Palmquist says. Consequently, solutions such as Point-


ClickCare’s Nutrition Management and eMenuCHOICE compile and maintain relevant health and nutrition records for residents. When residents order using eMenu-


CHOICE, for instance, important health information is displayed, such as key dietary preferences and allergies or other restrictions. Residents can view photos and ingredient lists for each dish before making a decision. Menu items that confl ict with those restrictions are highlighted, and alternative menu items are suggested for the resident. “It's always displayed along with the resi-


dent and their order,” Stenerson says. “Even when a ticket prints out to the kitchen—if


“As in restaurants, we are seeing the use of tablets and point-of-service systems to track the most popular items,” says Jon Williams, COO, Crandall Corporate Dietitians. “This is a signifi cant tool in forecasting food production.”


18 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MARCH/APRIL 2020


you're doing restaurant kind of dining—you can have the allergens and the special diet information and the resident's name on that ticket. And so everybody is up to date with the latest information.”


Emerging tech trends While tablets and point-of-sale systems occupy a prominent place among the tech- based solutions helping residents customize dining today, other innovative solutions could be in the works for widespread use, following the lead of the restaurant industry. For instance, robotics devices affi xed with


tablets could be employed for residents to make their menu selections, and facial recognition could be used to bring residents’ preferences and restrictions to the forefront when it’s time to order food. Communities are also looking for ways


to bolster on-demand delivery options for residents. Among the innovative methods on the rise in the restaurant industry is the use of ghost kitchens, which are commercial kitchens dedicated to preparing food solely for delivery. In light of the growing appetite for food


delivery—a $35 billion business projected to grow tenfold in the next 10 years, accord- ing to Restaurant Hospitality–senior living is projected by some to follow restaurants’ lead and employ these specialized food preparation spaces. Some may partner with a delivery service to off er effi cient delivery options and more choices for their residents. No matter the technology at play, once


a new system is implemented or a new philosophy is adopted related to dining, Williams says, training is critical. “Looking at the analytics over the past


few years, we have identifi ed that training is the number one root cause when standards are not followed,” Williams says. “Train, train, train. If staff do not understand the dining program, the program could lose fl exibility.”


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