Some of you may know that Vi Living sets aside a week to highlight and appreciate it's Culinary and Dining associates that make such a difference in our resident lives. As you know, Food and Beverage is not a glamorous position. The work is hard, the kitchen is hot and criticism seems to come easier than praise in our industry. Our Culinary and Dining staff at Vi work harder than many of you know and I would for them to hear about it from all of you. I want you all to please help me to thank and appreciate our Food and Beverage staff not only for what they do every day of the year but how they have all gone the extra mile for us this summer and the last three weeks in particular.
The fact that we are open at all is actually amazing. As many of you know, when the plan was formed to renovate the dining spaces, the home office just assumed that we would do what others have done and simply close dining for the summer. Furloughing employees and asking our residents to eat from takeout containers all summer just went against all we have worked together to achieve and so we rejected that plan. We wanted your meals to be as special as we could make them.
They thought we were crazy and probably still do.
At first we had planned to move dining operations into the Centennial Room but that would have cut off exercise classes, lectures, Town Hall, and Sunday services. We then agreed with the Home office that we would take over the renovated Game room but that plan fell apart and so the Tent was a Hail Mary pass that so far seems to be working but man, it is hard work.
To make this happen for 325 Independent residents at every single meal or event, this means carrying everything down the hill to the tent . All hot food, cold food, silverware, ice cream, wine, ice, and plates have to be carried to where they are needed every day. Just as importantly everything has to come back daily, including garbage, dirty linens, and pots and pans. Keep in mind that means rain, shine, 100 degree heat and even hail. When we close for weather they have to be flexible and ready to switch to another mode of dining at a moment's notice. Our Care Center with 45 residents is still fully open for three meals a day in three separate dining rooms and 200 employees still need to be fed daily at the same time. We have since added ice cream, barbecue lunches, picnics, as well as keeping up the take outs, The Hive, and events.
Construction has made all our lives more challenging and some of it is behind the scenes where hopefully you never see. Last week our kitchen was 75 percent closed, which added cramped cooking conditions, no coolers, no ice makers, no offices, no dish sinks, dry storage, or bulk cooking equipment. Most importantly, this meant that all food in the Tent, the Hive, take outs, and the newly added barbecue had to be transported down an elevator, pushed through the garage into a building 1, down the hall down the sidewalk and back up again.
Every. Single. Bite.
And with a smile too. These guys and gals are amazing.
Our food and Beverage department has 72 dedicated and hardworking staff who do their very best every day and I know you all appreciate what they do. While our staff works hard for all of you every day of the year, the last three months have been very trying for our staff and I really want all of you to understand what they have been doing to keep you happy and to help me congratulate and thank all of them.
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