Grab-n-Go Dining with eMenuCHOICE
It's a new world in senior dining today, with communities rolling out new social distancing and occupancy guidelines as many look to reopen communal dining.
Other emerging trends are accelerating and taking hold. One such trend is the popularity of "Grab-n-Go" food in bistros, pubs, cafes, delis and convenience stores within communities.
Grab-n-Go can include items such as individually wrapped pizzas, sandwiches or salads to cups of soup, snack items or even full meals prepared and ready for pick-up to take back to a room, patio, deck or other space where residents can dine while observing community rules on congregation.
In a recent senior dining industry blog post, a dietary manager in Mississippi said, "I had to double production on pizzas from the first time we did this. It's very popular. This also helps with people spending less time in one area, so lines do not form and it makes it easier to socially distance."
Another senior dining executive in a recent phone conversation saw a day when quick-casual dining concepts such as Chipotle or Subway take hold in senior communities -- residents order grab-n-go sandwiches, salads and soups that are prepared and served while they wait. A few tables and chairs spread at least six feet apart can be provided for those who want to eat on the spot - others can take their quick casual order back to the room for now or later.
eMenuCHOICE accommodates Grab-n-Go dining for senior communities. Residents can use eMenuCHOICE to order from tablets or smart phones from their apartments, or from public kiosks. Staff can place orders at mealtimes or throughout the day. eMenuCHOICE can be used for Grab-n-Go dining not only during meal times, but just as easily between meals for snacks and items or services from salons and convenience stores, depending on the community's rules.
Grab-n-Go items can be credited to a meal plan, billed to resident accounts or paid for with cash or credit, again depending on the community's preferences in eMenuCHOICE.
