Hello! Sorry for my recent silence, I was away visiting family in New England followed by a business trip in California. By the time I got back last Friday I had no idea what time zone I
was in and I haven't seen a full night's sleep since.
So as you all know by now we are closing the Mt. Rosa dining room on May 6th until at least late August. We will be getting an exciting new dining room with many more seats, three different venues, in what will be the flagship Food and Beverage operation of our company (my opinion). In order to do that we will be dining Al Fresco [outdoors] this summer.
Of course the next few weeks will be challenging in some aspects but fun and different in many more. For all who have enjoyed our summer barbecues on the pool patio, this will be a lot like that. Many of you have asked questions about how this will work, and so I decided to frame this post in the form of questions asked and answers given.
Why are we doing this? Well, Vi Living is making a huge investment in our property which will bring us a new, expanded dining room and a beautiful space to create new experiences. To do that the dining room will have to close from May 6 to at least late August.
What is the alternative? Instead of all this we could go to takeout only. I don't like this option but it is still available for those who prefer that. Most of us remember the COVID time all too well and would prefer to have communal meals and socialize.
Where will we be eating? We are erecting a tent on the commons (the bocce court) that will probably seat 60-70 people. For meals we will have two seatings, one at 4:30PM and one at 6.00PM. To come to dinner, you will simply call the reservation line and ask to be placed on the list for one or the other. Dinner will be served three nights a week under the tent, with complimentary house wine, soft drinks and beer. There will be hot food served on new induction chafers, with a different menu every time. The menus will be a bit different to match the setting and the equipment, and they will be published in advance. The cost is one meal credit per person. The same menu served at the buffet will be available hot in the Hive market if you would prefer to eat at home.
How do we make reservations? Call into the reservation line and tell them which seating you would like to be in, they will let you know whether there is a seat. Your favorite seating may not be available but trust me, everyone will get fed.
What about the other nights? On the other nights, dining will be from The Hive Market, with a combination of hot and cold offerings. On those nights, there will be other events as well, such as The Social which will be from 4:00PM to 6:00PM, two nights a week under the tent. This will feature appetizers and snacks, very similar to what we currently serve every Thursday in the Dad Clark Bar. I expect these to be well-attended, and as we are not having formal dinner there is no rush to clear tables. On Saturdays, Angie is having a Matinée Movie event which will also feature food and drink in addition to a great film.
What about Brunch? On Sundays, we will serve brunch in two seatings at 11:00AM and at 12:30PM. Brunch will be similar to what we currently serve with notable exceptions-- we can't power a waffle iron and we will try to avoid items such as Eggs Benedict that simply won't travel well.
What about Mother's Day? Yes, the very first Brunch will be Mother's Day-- the busiest day of the year. I want to thank project management for that little gift. Mother's Day will be treated like other brunches, the only exception being that if both seatings fill up we will offer a third to make sure that everyone gets a good meal. An important thing to remember though is that if it rains we will not be serving under the tent. In that scenario we are going to The Hive as the sole outlet for food.
What if it rains or snows? We all know it rarely rains in Colorado, and whoever heard of snow in May? In that unlikely event, any planned events outdoors will be cancelled. In all seriousness, we will not risk the health and safety of our residents and staff and will simply have to serve out of The Hive alone.
Why can't we use the Centennial Room? Well because then we couldn't do anything else in the Centennial Room. Serving there would mean no religious services on Sunday, no more fitness classes, no lectures, no Town hall, no Sip and Savor. We simply can't set up and break down tables every day and even if we did who wants to do yoga where someone spilled bleu cheese last night?
Will The Hive Market have enough food? Yes. We still have a fully-functioning kitchen and can keep that area well-stocked. We are adding a second register and will be creating order forms that can be filled out in advance to make things easier and faster.
What about Breakfast and Lunch? These meals will be available seven days a week in The Hive Market. The Hive Market will be open from 7:00AM to 5:00PM to facilitate this and our regular breakfast servers will be in there to help you.
What about the pool patio? There will be tables and chairs with umbrellas out there so Residents can enjoy their meals, drinks, or whatever in the beautiful weather we will be having. We may arrange some barbecues once we get up and running, I just want to see how it goes.
Are you getting enough sleep? Well no, not really. I do appreciate all the support I have received from you all, especially after Thursday's meeting.
How can we help? Just be positive and patient. Try not to all come to The Hive Market at 4:00PM. Remind your neighbors that everyone will be fed. Remember that all this is temporary and we are trying to make the best of a difficult situation.
How do you think this will go....really? Honestly, I think this will be a great party like a Luau or outdoor barbecue. It will be fun if we all keep a positive attitude .
Are we still doing Sip and Savor? Yes! In fact we will be doing it this Tuesday-thank you for asking.
What about Culinary corner? Well it will be in the Dad Clark one last time on Monday and after that in the Art Studio at the same time.
Thank you everyone, I am available to answer questions of course but please be patient with messages and e-mails as I am having trouble getting to everyone.
