Learning All About Catering Services

Three Benefits Of Using A Food Service Management Company For Senior Meals

2 August 2017

Andrea Johnson

If you manage a senior centre in your community, you are probably already aware of the challenges of running a smooth ship when it comes to food service. Employees quit with no notice, shipments sometimes don't include necessary items, and residents are often unhappy with the bland, uninspired meals coming out of the kitchen. A good food service management program can help solve these problems. Here's what you'll gain from switching to a professional food service management program. 

Vetted Employees

Naturally, you vet your employees as best you can, but professional food service management programs go out of their way to ensure that those they hire are the best possible people for the job. Because they're culinary professionals themselves, they know the right questions to ask applicants in order to discern their suitability for the job. Also, food service management companies receive many applications from culinary school graduates, so you know they're committed to cultivating a career in the food service industry. 

Also, if an employee calls in sick, quits abruptly, or otherwise is unavailable for work, you won't be scrambling for a last minute replacement -- the service will call in a competent replacement. 

Better Nutrition

Today's seniors are far more educated about matters concerning their own health than their counterparts of the past, and this means they're more discriminating about what's on their plate. Food service programs are offering more personalized dining options based on individual personal preferences as well as dietary needs. There is also an increasing trend toward providing residents with comprehensive nutritional information concerning available menu items. Chefs are often hired based on their knowledge of specialized diets for specific medical conditions experienced by senior citizens -- culinary schools offer classes in this particular subject, while most cooks with no education know very little about geriatric diets. 

Better Options

Dining options in traditional senior centre settings in the past have closely resembled standard cafeteria dining. However, today's food service management companies strive to provide an experience that's more like going to a restaurant than going through a line in a cafeteria. Table service, actual menus, and varied seating options combine to provide residents with a better overall dining experience. Most of the menu entrees are cooked to order rather than served in steam trays, salads are prepared fresh, and the social aspect of community dining is emphasized by themed dinners, game, movie, and trivia nights, and other types of social events. 

Your local food service management company like New Horizon Foods can provide you with information on other benefits involved in using their services. 

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