Concordia’s Dining Experience says, “Bon Appetit!”

One thing that I love about my position at Concordia is helping to guide potential residents and their families to just the right place that is a perfect fit for them. In all the years that I have been working with seniors I have found there are four key ingredients that make a community a great place to live. Any idea what these might be? It might surprise you but it’s not what you might think.

Yes, of course, quality care is number one. Second would be the food. Yes, that’s right. The quality, the variety, and the service. At Concordia, I believe that we have accomplished all of the above. Our food and service go way beyond what you would typically expect at a senior living community. The other thing that makes us so special is our dining room team – from the director to each staff member. It takes a team and ours shines.

Let me introduce you. First, we have Joseph Ford, dietary director. He is an amazing leader, has so many creative ideas and a heart of gold. When Joseph was young, he started working in the food industry bussing tables and within four years became the general manager for a restaurant in Northwest Arkansas. He continued to follow his passion and is now blessing us here with his delicious food. Joseph is married, and he and his wife love to garden and spend time together, and they have three beautiful children.

I asked the staff what makes Concordia special and what makes working here so different from any job they have ever had.

Chef Joe was born in upstate New York. He wanted to be a chef since he was four years old. He comes to us with many talents and has worked in very elite settings. He experienced cooking every night for the Cincinnati Reds, which he loved. He has been a corporate chef at the Goat and Bourbon Bar. He has worked at Concordia for three years and said he loves the “sense of community, the closeness and the level of commitment that every department has across the board.”

J.K., utility chef, says, it’s so wonderful to see the residents so pleased with what he creates and the end result.

Mike, cook, says the difference about working at Concordia is “it’s like cooking for family, you have a face with the order and it’s more personal.”

Tammy, salad artist, has been working for Concordia for 23 years. The salad bar she creates looks like what you would see on a cruise ship.

Joy, dessert baker, said, “It’s like cooking for family and spreading love through food.” She goes on to say that she has “always enjoyed making delicious meals for those she cares about and enjoys seeing their faces light up.”

Steve, server, says, “it’s the people.” Amanda agrees that it’s the people. She says she loves to make a difference in their lives. Her smile is contagious and just brightens their day.

Tiffany, server, loves working with seniors and the group setting. She says “team work is crucial,” and loves how everyone works together.

Nichole, server, has been around seniors all her life and it has become a part of her. She loves the atmosphere, working with her co-workers and serving the residents.

So there you have it. Concordia has the “four ingredients” I was talking about before. Stay tuned, I’ll be talking about the other three ingredients soon.

“Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.”

~ Alan D. Wolfelt