Small Change, Big Impact: Real World Results From Priority Life Care’s Sustainability Goals
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Brian Gallo, culinary director of Priority Life Care (PLC), brought his restaurant experience to bear when he proposed a big equipment change for the kitchens. His plan would replace the current set up of a convection oven, steamer and fryer with a combi-oven. “It was a way to bring our 20th century style cooking into the 21st century, and really make a difference for our residents,” Gallo says. He was looking to improve the quality of food while making things more efficient.
There was another advantage as well: Switching from gas to electric cooking meant a decrease in the carbon emissions produced by the kitchens, a priority for PLC’s parent company, Ventas. In 2022 Ventas made a commitment to reach net-zero operational carbon emissions in all its properties by 2040.
The plan was to renovate 10 facilities, but after seeing the results in the first two properties, the project quickly grew to 32 PLC centers in multiple states. With the organizational support and foundational knowledge of Boelter’s senior living specialists, PLC is on track to improve the foodservice operations for residents while making inroads into its net-zero commitment.
Location:
Multiple
Brian Gallo, culinary director of Priority Life Care (PLC), brought his restaurant experience to bear when he proposed a big equipment change for the kitchens. His plan would replace the current set up of a convection oven, steamer and fryer with a combi-oven. “It was a way to bring our 20th century style cooking into the 21st century, and really make a difference for our residents,” Gallo says. He was looking to improve the quality of food while making thing more efficient.
There was another advantage as well: Switching from gas to electric cooking meant a decrease in the carbon emissions produced by the kitchens, a priority for PLC’s parent company, Ventas. In 2022 Ventas made a commitment to reach net-zero operational carbon emissions in all its properties by 2040.
The plan was to renovate 10 facilities, but after seeing the results in the first two properties, the project quickly grew to 32 PLC centers in multiple states. With the organizational support and foundational knowledge of Boelter’s senior living specialists, PLC is on track to improve the foodservice operations for residents while making inroads into its net-zero commitment.
“We were working to find ways to ‘go green’ throughout our properties, and Brian’s combi-ovens were a way to switch to electric while meeting the culinary needs of our communities."
– SAM DEROSSET, CAPEX PROJECT MANAGER, SENIOR HOUSING MAINTENANCE
Reaping the Benefits of an Equipment Upgrade
It’s to be expected that an equipment upgrade will mean new technology and improved performance. But in the case of switching to the electric combi-ovens, the PLC centers experienced a wide range of benefits including reduction in carbon footprint, improvements in the kitchen environment from fewer harmful emissions, greater efficiencies in the kitchen, and of course a better quality and consistency of food for the residents.
Focus on Sustainability. Ventas, as the first health care REIT to make the goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions, has become an industry leader in decarbonization. Their decarbonization strategy has three primary components: Energy efficiency, electrification and refrigerant management, and renewable energy. Replacing existing equipment at the 32 PLC centers with the Alto-Shaam Prodigi Pro combi-oven or Converge oven helps meet the electrification component of these goals.
“The initiative is a big commitment for our investors, and it includes wanting to have better air quality and equipment that is better for the environment,” Derossett says. “Environmental concerns are also an important factor for people considering moving into our facilities, as they like to be a part of a place that shares their own values.”
Switching to electric equipment from gas can make a big impact on the environment, as gas stoves emit 2.6 million tons of methane into the atmosphere each year. That’s the equivalent of the carbon dioxide from half a million cars.
In addition to reducing carbon emissions, manufacturers report combi ovens can lead to utility savings of up to 15-20%. That comes in part from the heat from electric cooking being more controlled, which means less heat escapes out into the kitchen, in turn lessening the load on the HVAC system. Combi ovens also use less water compared to traditional steamers.
Improved Kitchen Efficiencies. The sustainability was a driving factor in choosing to go with electric combi-ovens, but Gallo was interested in the benefits from a foodservice perspective as well.
The efficiency in cooking brought by the combi-oven has saved time in the kitchen. Breakfast service from start to finish is only 35 minutes, where before they were finishing up breakfast just in time to start lunch. And now the lunch service is completed in an hour and forty-five minutes or less. Each facility with the new equipment showed a savings of eight hours per day of labor in the kitchen.
“We’ve been able to take that time savings in cooking and allow staff to pay more attention to plate presentation and creativity with the offerings. But most importantly, simplifying the cooking process has led to less stress, which will help with job satisfaction and staff retention.”
– BRIAN GALLO, CULINARY DIRECTOR, PRIORITY LIFE CARE
Better Food Quality and Consistency. For many prospective residents of a senior living facility, the quality of the food is a top priority. And for good reason, as most of them will be eating in the dining room for three meals a day, seven days a week. “For me, what we’re doing is more than just filling someone’s stomach, we’re providing nutrition for healthy living and creating an experience with each dining service,” Gallo says.
- Healthy Cooking. Introducing combi ovens to the kitchens at PLC provided a way to continue to serve the foods residents enjoyed, such as onion rings and hamburgers, while cooking them in a healthier way. “We’re no longer serving heavy fried products or blanching out all the nutrients in the vegetables, as the combi-oven’s cooking process maintains the integrity of our product during the cooking process,” Gallo says.
- Greater Consistency. Pre-programmed recipes help ensure consistent quality across the board, no matter who is staffing the kitchen. And chefs have been able to introduce more variety thanks to the programmability and the dependable quality of the final product.
- Improved Versatility. Combi ovens allow multiple types of cooking in one piece of equipment, and that brought Gallo the versatility he was looking for. “The combi-oven enables us to do everything we would be doing in a fryer, oven or steamer all in one unit,” Gallo says. The versatility also makes it easy to expand the menu. For example, PLC incorporated more seafood on the menu because they can trust the integrity of the final product, and one chef created a new roasted French onion soup. They also have the ability to customize meals for residents. “Thanks to the speed of cooking in a combi oven, if someone comes in and wants a burger, we can have it ready for them in six minutes,” Gallo says.
A Turnkey Approach
From making sure the facilities are equipped to handle the new equipment’s specifications to handling installation and providing training, Boelter’s team was involved with every step of the process to make sure PLC gets the best possible return on investment.
One of the unique aspects of the PLC project is that all of the 32 kitchens receiving new equipment were not only in existing buildings, but each one was different. For some kitchens that meant specifying a Converge oven rather than a combi-oven. “It’s all about finding the type of equipment that best fits the operations, and knowing what options are available,” said Kristin Schreindl, senior living and healthcare specialist for Boelter.
There was also a lot of preparation and planning ahead of time. Throughout the process, Boelter’s team coordinated communication between all the parties involved to make sure everything was ready at the time of installation. Electrical justification in the buildings was needed to make sure the power source was appropriate for the new equipment. In some cases, wires had to be re-run, or amperage increased, as well as making sure there was enough room on the generator and adding a new one if necessary. The Boelter team also worked with facilities management to make sure the plumbing was acceptable and install floor drains where needed.
“The Boelter team was continually working behind the scenes, working out the logistics for every location for plumbing, electric and installation. Their expertise on the ordering, shipping and installation helped make everything go incredibly smoothly at each location.”
– SAM DEROSSET, CAPEX PROJECT MANAGER, SENIOR HOUSING MAINTENANCE
Training staff was the final component to ensuring the equipment upgrade would be successful. “Because our niche is foodservice, we understand how important it is that staff know how to use the equipment to its full potential from day one,” said Brit Gala Ploeckelmann, director of senior living and healthcare at Boelter. Ploeckelmann and Schreindl leveraged their relationship with Alto-Shaam to work with PLC from the beginning of the project all the way through to installation. Manufacturers representatives and Alto Shaam’s culinary support team provided initial training and worked closely with Gallo and his team to create recipes and upload them to the ovens.
Additionally, training sessions were arranged for each facility immediately following installation, providing the resources needed for successful operations. “One of the advantages of working with Boelter is we have the system and programs in place to make sure everything goes smoothly and provides the client what they need, from concept to completion,” Schreindl says.
“Installing these combi-ovens has really had a direct impact on our services. Not only have our residents’ satisfaction scores improved to consistent 5’s on quality, taste and presentation, I’ve also had employees calling and texting me about how we’ve made an impact on their daily life. Stress levels are down and we’re seeing less turnover, after just a matter of months.”
– BRIAN GALLO, CULINARY DIRECTOR, PRIORITY LIFE CARE
At a Glance
