RECIPES FOR RESILENCE


STARTING WITH THE MENU The most obvious challenge was what to serve: how to deal with uncertainty of sup- plies. But solutions to the supply crunch are more complex than paring down a menu. Food service began to rethink and redesign processes from local procurement to resi- dent needs to food waste. Supply chain issues even affect labor, as


Merrill Gardens vice president of special projects Nick Olla points out. “We’ve been costing out menus for-


ever, but rarely has the labor component of producing certain items been taken into account,” he wrote in an email interview. “With labor being challenged like never


before, I feel that efficiency in menu plan- ning to accommodate not only leftover items, but also accounting for the time it takes to prepare everything, will be a metric we study and a potentially a trend moving forward,”Olla says. Porterfield says Entegra keeps an eye


out for items that are easily available from suppliers and arranges custom contracting for items that are both readily available and easy to prep and serve, whether in a com- munity dining room or delivered to resident rooms.”


Cutting food waste is an area Entegra


has tackled as well. “Another way to combat supply shortages is to make sure that kitch- ens are making the most of what they have,” writes Porterfield. “Our Leanpath program was designed to help kitchens track waste, whether through overproduction, trim waste, or spoilage.” “Understanding those trends will allow


operators to adapt production levels quickly, using everything they have on hand pur- posefully, saving money and labor resources in the process.”


HOW, WHEN, AND WHERE At the beginning of the pandemic, as resi- dents often had to take meals in their rooms, culinary faced shortages of disposable plates and cutlery. A few months in, some provid- ers were looking for sustainable (and more attractive) alternatives to plastic foam con- tainers. Kisco Senior Living, for instance, found eco-friendly, reusable containers that could be disinfected—saving money and increasing goodwill. With the dining room less central to din-


ing, communities moved toward “anytime” dining and grab-and-go alternatives for some meals. Entegra created Grab ‘n Go, a


“With labor being challenged like never before, I feel that efficiency in menu planning to accommodate not only leftover items, but also accounting for the time it takes to prepare everything, will be a metric we study and a potentially a trend moving forward," says Nick Olla, vice president of special projects for Merrill Gardens.


Entegra also advises on interchangeable


SKUs (stock keeping units, which track sup- plies of various items) so culinary can more easily make substitutions or get creative with available items.


CUTTING WASTE PAYS OFF “With food cost and inflation being front of mind for us all, we believe that there will be an intense focus on how to stretch your dollar and minimize waste,” Olla writes. “From herb and vegetable gardens moving beyond just a novelty, to in-house butchery, to alternative protein options, we see this as a space that is prime for innovation.”


10 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MARCH/APRIL 2022


“turn-key solution with curated recipes us- ing contracted products and easy-to-follow, bilingual recipe cards,” Porterfield writes. “You save money on the ingredients, and


staff at any skill level can prepare the meals in advance. It works well in senior living communities because it’s easy to bring a pre-packaged meal to a resident or offer a selection of pre-packaged meals for residents to pick up on their own as a convenience.”


SAFETY FIRST IN MIND Another factor continuing to complicate dining programs is the new approach to food safety. Food safety has always been se-


rious business and non-negotiable in senior living, but with a dangerous new virus on the scene, communities tripled and qua- drupled their efforts. “Juniper continues to do yearly train-


ing with our dietary staff and leadership to ensure everyone has been through ServSafe mangers certification,” says Kris Kishbaugh, Juniper Communities Regional Culinary Director. “The health and safety of our residents


and staff have always been top priority for Juniper. Partnering with Handgard to have these trainings in all our communities ensures that everyone is given the tools to make that happen,” Kishbaugh says. “They have been a great resource for us as well when gloves were becoming hard to come by—they were able to keep us well stocked.” “Cleaning protocols needed to level up,”


writes Porterfield. So Entegra developed a Sanitation and Safety program, in partner- ship with Bureau Veritas. “The comprehensive program not only


takes participants through an audit, but includes personal consultation, training and solutions through Entegra’s broad portfolio of contracted products,” Porterfield writes. “Upon implementation of audit recom- mendations, clients earn the Safeguard Label of Hygiene Excellence and Safety to demonstrate their commitment to providing healthy and safe environments.”


RESOURCES


• The Argentum2022 Forecast Report—free to Argentummembers only—has historical and outlook data on food prices and two helpful articles—one on retention strategies in food service, and another on getting residents back to the dining room. Visit argentum.org/2022forecast to access the report.


• The CBORD website, cbord.com, has a series of “5 Questions” blog post.


• Direct Supply offers an Insights section at directsupply.com.


• The Entegra website, at entegraps.com, has a news and insights section.


• Gordon Food Service, at gfs.com, offers an Idea Center addressing current concerns.


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