This past weekend, my husband and I were able to get out of the house for a rare dinner date with friends. First, we headed to a neighborhood craft cocktail bar and next to a little bistro with a chef-driven menu. We tried new things, shared some laughs, and had a perfect night.
Senior dining drivers
And it was exactly what a few industry members recently described to me regarding what’s driving the design of senior living dining environments.
“Humans thrive around food and the experience of it,” noted Eric Krull, principal at THW Design.
He’s right. This thing we do three times a day, every day, is about so much more than simply fueling our bodies (although that’s important, too). Food—and let’s be honest, alcohol, as well—is reflective of culture, both from a geographic and even personal perspective.
I think of how my family will gather in the living room to watch “Food Network” and discuss how we’d be excellent judges in cooking competitions. Or how my son and I will look at over-ripe bananas on the kitchen counter and then fill the house with the smell of banana bread baking. And how in every city I visit you’ll find me doing my very best to track down a local craft brewery.
And none of that stops the second we move into a senior living community.
Thankfully, the industry is acknowledging that. Today’s dining spaces are a far cry from a formal main dining room where residents would eat within required breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours.
Senior living dining venues offer choice, flexibility
Venues are varied and unique. They allow residents choice and flexibility. And spaces support eating and drinking, sure, but also the ability to pursue interest in food or even the hobby of making it or watching it be made.
EFA’s inaugural Dining Competition
We at EFA have noticed this evolution taking place, the investment being made in ensuring residents have the opportunity to enjoy the experience of dining and to engage in the social connections created through a shared meal or drink. To that end, I’m excited to announce our inaugural Dining Competition that celebrates excellence in senior living dining design.
In the EFA summer issue, you’ll find our Dining Competition special section, with profiles of our Platinum, Gold, and Silver winners as well as a trend report on dining design.
Additionally, we’re going to package this together into a PDF download that will also include a gallery of all the projects submitted to the competition.
You can find that resource at efamagazine.com/events/dining-competition; I hope it helps you cook up a few new ideas for your next dining project.
The EFA dining supplement download is now available here: https://efamagazine.com/events/dining-competition/
