Be Our Guests… Again
Servers in retirement villages’ dining venues aren’t usually “career” servers. Instead, they often are students who appreciate the flexible schedule, the wholesome kitchen atmosphere, the early closing time… and the abundant and loving attention they get from their dining customers. A part-time or seasonal serving job in a community can lead to great things as young people acquire poise and the art of superior customer service, while learning valuable life lessons from their elders.
When in-person restaurant dining was abruptly suspended last March, however, our two dining venues in Harmony Ridge were not spared. Our bustling Campus Inn restaurant and Harmony Café had to make instant changes during the first wave of the pandemic, which included closing the Campus Inn altogether and offering nothing but pre-ordered takeout from the Café. Inventive solutions were subsequently adopted: Villagers in cottages and Bridgewater homes were able to take advantage of curbside service, which turned into a festive occasion on special holidays. Limited capacity in-person dining eventually became available, on and off, during those months.
Last month Ken Rosser, our new Director of Dining Services, joined the team as we were preparing to increase capacity in both restaurants in April. While we are still limiting the seating to 50 percent capacity, guests who make a reservation can dine, at last, with friends and neighbors from other households. Our larger tables will welcome groups of up to six. Imagine that! “It’s very exciting to open back up a bit, and ease into normalcy,” said Hospitality Manager Krystal Hartzell. “But I’m sure It’s going to feel weird at first.”
After a year focused on takeout, the current dining team was understandably rusty about table service, and included one “server” who hasn’t had any experience with full dining service. Ken felt it was best to have a refresher course so that the entire team will be on the same page. Early this month, Ken and Krystal held training sessions with titles like COVID-19 Compassion and Waitstaff Bootcamp as well as customer service trivia games. Krystal says it’s easy to teach dining team members to serve, but the compassion course is what matters most to her. “It offers insight into what our senior guests may be experiencing in the world that we live in now, how to better understand reactions that may occur during a dining service as we return to normal social interactions.” Krystal describes her team as a group that goes with the flow, and we trust they will handle the transition to in-person service smoothly.
