International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) has officially announced a partnership with Restaura, a leader in hospitality and dining services, to establish an industry-first Culinary and Hospitality Benchmarking System.
According to certain reports, the stated benchmarking system will span components like service, culinary quality, nutrition, menu diversity, and the overall dining experience across senior living and active adult communities. More on that would reveal how this Culinary and Hospitality Benchmarking System will make it possible for communities to measure and enhance their dining services, aligning them with emerging trends, resident expectations, and proven quality standards.
All in all, by deploying a blend of quantitative self-assessments, qualitative reviews, and third-party verification, the new program should be able to support senior living community operators’ strategic planning and marketing efforts.
“The time has come for senior living culinarians to be held to the high standards that older adults demand and deserve,” said Joseph Cuticelli, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Restaura. “We are grateful for the ICAA’s leadership and support of this benchmarking and recognition system. Restaura intends to hold our teams accountable to these standards so that we earn Plates of Distinction on behalf of our clients.”
Talk about the whole value proposition on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the promise of culinary excellence and food quality. This translates to how participants can come expecting to use fresh, locally sourced ingredients, innovative preparation techniques, and chef-driven menus that, on their part, will bring global flavors, interactive experiences, and restaurant-quality dining.
Next up, there is the potential for wellness-driven nutrition. You see, meals in question here are effectively designed to facilitate active aging, something they will likely do on the back of balanced, customizable options with hydration-focused choices and functional foods that enhance vitality.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in the program’s elevated hospitality and dining experience, which will ensure access to multiple dining venues, high-end hospitality service, social dining opportunities, flexible schedules, and thoughtfully designed spaces.
“This collaboration allows us to bring data-driven insights and objective assessments to the heart of senior living dining,” said Gary Gunderson, president of CrossCheck. “By creating a clear, actionable benchmarking system, we’re ensuring that communities have the data they need to elevate their culinary offerings and meet the highest hospitality standards.”
Hold on, we still have a few bits left to unpack, considering we haven’t yet touched upon the new partnership’s aim to preach transparency, trust, and culinary innovation at scale. This particular pursuit entails clear nutrition information, responsible sourcing, tech-enabled meal planning, tableside ordering, and personalization.
We referred to how ICAA’s focus on providing anti-aging capabilities, but what we haven’t yet touched upon is the program’s bid to conceive wider fitness-integrated dining, outdoor experiences, local partnerships, and resident involvement for better learning, socialization, and engagement.
Among other things, we ought to mention how specific quantifiable standards will be converted into a self-assessment tool, which is eventually going to become available through the ICAA website following peer review by ICAA members and industry leaders.
We must also mention that ICAA Plate of Distinction designation will be awarded at the Bronze, Gold, and Platinum levels for communities that seek formal recognition of their culinary standards. CrossCheck, in the current context, will provide on-site evaluations on behalf of the ICAA to validate performance.
Making this even more valuable is CrossCheck’s fifteen years worth experience in delivering culinary and hospitality quality assurance programs across various business lines, including universities and health systems. This extensive expertise will empower company to create quantifiable culinary and hospitality assessments for the senior living industry.
Anyway, certified communities will also receive the ICAA Culinary Excellence Plate of Distinction seal to further validate their reputation and attract residents who value wellness and quality.
“The connection between food, wellness, and quality of life is undeniable. By providing senior living communities with a structured framework for continuous improvement, we’re helping them not only meet but exceed current and future resident expectations,” said Colin Milner, CEO of the ICAA.
