Thomas Cuisine Blog

An Awesome Concept

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:08:00 GMT

America is growing, but not in the way many had hoped. Over 30 percent of the population in the U.S. is obese. Over 24 million Americans have diabetes. More than 100 million Americans have high cholesterol. These are just a few of the startling numbers that have caught our nation’s attention. Being a premiere food service company allows us to play a role in helping reverse these dangerous trends. And while we are at it…let’s make it green! “Grounds & Grains – Local & Natural” is one of Thomas Cuisine’s newest brands. This has been a vision of our President and CEO, Mark Kadell, for several years and it is really taking root!

Grounds & Grains Cafés feature espresso bars that highlight local roasting companies, delicious real-fruit smoothies and nutritious beverages (sorry, no high fructose corn syrup sodas here). On the Grains side, we offer freshly made whole grain items, gluten free options, and healthy, delicious grab ‘n go selections.

This concept is based on a “Whole Foods – Clean Labels” idea; healthy, natural, local and some organic selections. A "whole food" is any unrefined food in its most essential, pure, natural and basic form. Foods with “cleaner labels” are mostly free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats.

Our Grounds & Grains Cafés offer whole grain salads and gourmet wraps, organic fruit, hand-made artisan flatbread pizzas and many freshly-made grab ‘n go items. They also offer Blue Sky Natural Sodas, PomWonderful Juice, Zico Coconut Water, and San Pellegrino Sparkling Waters. We are proud to partner with local coffee roasters in each region to provide rich and flavorful home-grown javas and pastries.

Our focus continues to be on offering our customers delicious, healthy food options while doing what we can to be green-friendly to our environment. See how Grounds & Grains is growing by checking Café opening photos in Bellingham on our Thomas Cuisine Management Facebook page! www.facebook.com/ThomasCuisine

Kriste Sumpter

Marketing Coordinator

Spring Time

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:24:00 GMT

Ahhh, Spring Time. At Thomas Cuisine, it is more like Spring Fever. As much as we love the fourth season (winter), we can’t wait to get out and enjoy the nice days that come our way in the spring. Maybe it’s the green foliage coming out, the longer days, the warmer temperatures – maybe it’s all of the above.

It’s also a time to start shedding those winter calories. Many people become much more active in the spring helping them lose those holiday pounds that seem to linger like a long winter. In addition to the activity, healthy eating can play an integral role in helping the “summer” form come back. We at TCM are working hard to provide our clients and consumers with numerous healthy options to help aid the process.

Healthy does not have to mean “bland and boring.” Our nationally renowned chefs are creating new recipes each day that fit our healthy moniker of having less than 600 calories. When visiting our cafes or ordering room service – take a chance – you will be extremely pleased with the freshness of the selection, the flavor of the dish and the energized feeling you’ll have afterward. We are featuring our Metropolitan Wraps at each of our accounts in April and May. Try the Cantonese Lettuce Wraps with Szechwan chicken salad wrapped in a bed of fresh, crisp lettuce leafs.

We hope you enjoy the spring as much as we do. Here’s to a healthy and fit 2012!

Aaron Coleman

Director of Business Development

Is it a TREND, a FAD or real CHANGE

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:50:00 GMT

A fad is considered something that is followed ‘enthusiastically’ for a short time. A trend has a tendency to be lower key and longer lasting.

Here are some examples of food fads and trends throughout history:

1920 – Gelatin (not dessert). It was common to serve meat, fish and vegies in aspic.
1930 – Sliced bread
1945 – TV Dinners
1958 – Rice-A-Roni
1969 – Space age snacks such as Tang and freeze dried ice cream
1972 – Low carb or no carb
1989 – Oats (oatmeal, oat bran oat snacks)
1990 – Deep fried everything (peppers, pickles, cheese and MORE)

Fads come and go but trends shift and change as people’s tastes change. Some trends have real staying power; sliced bread is obviously not a fad.

Each year, the National Restaurant Association conducts a survey of professional chefs to identify upcoming trends. Here are some of the trends that are predicted for 2012.

Locally sourced meats and seafood
Locally grown produce
Healthful kids’ meals
Hyper-local items (roof top and patio gardens)
Sustainability as a culinary theme
Children’s nutrition as a culinary theme
Gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items
Whole grain items in kids’ meals
Health/nutrition as a culinary theme

Some of the trends identified are extremely exciting to us here at Thomas Cuisine Management. We have actively embraced the locally sourced trend for several years. This past year we increased our purchases of locally grown items by 40%. Next year, we are projecting an increase of 25% over our current levels. Our clients and customers have embraced this ‘trend’ and are enjoying the freshness of locally grown products, while realizing they are supporting their neighbors.

Gluten free has been on our radar for some time. We now offer a variety of gluten free products at most facilities. We have been able to source a variety of locally made products that are gluten free and taste good.

Healthful items are taking the spotlight for TCM. We are committed to sourcing products that have fewer additives, ‘cleaner’ ingredient statements and less processing. In just one year, we have increased our healthier and alternative offerings by almost 60% over the prior year.

Innovative salads, more natural products, the use of alternative grains and other healthy options are now in the forefront of our menus and in our take out areas. We’ve come a long way and learned much about health and nutrition. We feel that we have only just begun to explore the opportunities.

Will looking for healthier, cleaner, more natural options simply be a fad? We hope not. We believe that looking for better choices in the foods that we eat will become a trend that has as much staying power as sliced bread.

Jeff Block

Director of Procurement, Thomas Cuisine Management

It’s Not Just The Seasoning

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:32:00 GMT

Fairly often, besides the deliberate rounding to the patients that happens, I come across a client or family that wants to voice a concern, make a suggestion or share a comment about something that they found really important. It might have been the fantastic Clam Chowder that they had or just a mention of the way they enjoyed a catered event. Generally, the feedback is very positive.

Being at a facility for 10 years has exposed me to many ‘like’ situations. I can almost predict, with reasonable accuracy, the request that a customer is about to make based on their facial expressions and body language. It’s sort of a private mental diversion I silently challenge myself with while taking care of their needs.

There are customers that have made working here a true blessing. For example, a particular elderly gentleman that came in every month with his wife while she received chemotherapy would stop by my office religiously. He always had an old, brown paper grocery sack that had been used for many trips to the hospital, clutched tightly in one hand while he extended the other out to greet me. He is the perfect picture of someone’s grandfather, his wrinkled overalls, worn pale on the knees – probably as old as the paper sack, fitted over his plaid collared shirt which was always pressed and starched.

“I’m back with the Misses,” he’d say, “Got to get her some more of that great soup Vern!” It was never Chef Vern or Chef and I really felt closer to him for that reason.

I’d walk him out to the line and chat with him for a few minutes. We’d talk about the Red Sox (as I’m from the East coast) or his trip to Poland (years ago) - as he knew my wife was from Poland. He’d mention how his wife was from Italy and ask me of how my possible plans to go to Europe were coming along as he dipped up his soup to take home.

His face would just make you smile and his easy going nature reminded me of a character from a Norman Rockwell painting, a pleasant, rosy-cheeked elderly farmer, full of patience and a pile of awesome stories contained in the twinkle of his eye.

For years, he’s come in for the soup even after his wife lost her battle. Like clock work – he wears the same bright cheery smile and we go through a very similar conversation, with a few tweaks here and there now that she was gone.

He arrived one day to find that the soup rotation had changed. We didn’t have the same line up of his favorites. I started to apologize for his inconvenience and to tell him I’d have his favorites the next time he came in, but he stopped me in mid-sentence, shook my hand and said: “It isn’t the way you season your soups Vern that keeps me coming in – it’s the way I’m made to feel when I come here.”

His humbling remarks reminded me that we aren’t just a collection of services, concepts, food & equipment, but a place made up of people. Our home away from home.

Vern Bauer

Executive Chef, Saint Alphonsus RMC

Culture

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:31:00 GMT

Why should job-seekers care about a potential employer's corporate culture? Aren't there more important factors to consider, such as the job itself, salary and bonuses, and other tangibles? These factors are indeed important, but increasingly, experts are talking about the importance of employee-employer fit in terms of culture, with the idea that how well the employee "fits" the culture can make the difference between success and failure.

What is corporate culture? At its most basic definition, it's described as the personality of an organization, or simply as: "how things are done around here." It guides how employees think, act, and feel. Corporate culture is a broad term used to define the unique personality or character of a particular company or organization, and includes such elements as core values and beliefs, corporate ethics, and rules of behavior. Corporate culture can be expressed in the company's mission statement and other communications, in the architectural style or interior decor of offices, by what people wear to work, by how people address each other, and in the titles given to various employees.

Although corporate cultures evolve over time, Thomas Cuisine Management has fostered its unique culture and believes it differentiates us from our competitors and fuels our collective success. Here are the words around the culture of Thomas Cuisine Management:

Professional in our actions, language and appearance

High standards

Team oriented

Flexible

Sense of humor

Hard working

Competitive

Inquisitive

Results oriented

These words do not encompass all of the unique traits of the TCM culture, but do speak to what has connected employees, clients, and vendors to our organization. We are all proud to be part of TCM and we continue to strive to protect and foster our culture, today and into the future.

Craig Richey PHR

Director of Human Resources

Thomas Cuisine Management

Returning to My Roots

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:03:00 GMT

Last month I had the unique experience of joining our HR Director for a recruiting trip back east to the same school that I graduated from: The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park. It seemed like an eternity ago that I walked down the marbled front steps of the old building for what I thought was the last time.

Being back in New York, in the state I was born in, was a strange feeling indeed. The crisp autumn weather and the beautiful Hudson Valley brought back memories of learning and working. I remember looking forward to the future that I am now living.I wondered, if then, I had asked myself where I would be now. What would I say?

I was running over in my mind the things I appreciate about the work I do now and how I could convey that to the prospective employees we were about to interview. I wanted to show an honest, straight forward opinion of who I work for and what I do. In my mind, I have it boiled down to a short list:

This work is not for everyone. It’s not the same as the restaurant world. There are different rules to abide by and different priorities to focus on.
I am proud of the work that I do and the people that I work for. I am proud of their ethical conduct, their drive, their vision and their leadership.
I enjoy living a life outside of work. I finally have time to see and do things that just wouldn’t be possible on a regular restaurant schedule.
I am invested in who I work for, as they are invested in me. I have had opportunities to further my education and have been rewarded by Thomas Cuisine.
I am part of a growing company and the chance for new opportunity increases consistently.

At the end of the day, it all seems like simple stuff. But how many people could say the same things about their employer?

Getting a chance to go back to where it all started helped me to reflect on where I am today, and hopefully where I can go tomorrow!

Peter Roberge

Chef - Skagit Valley Hospital

Content over Context

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:10:00 GMT

Having worked at my craft for over twenty years, I am confident in my knowledge base. That base is rooted in a career where diet and nutritional content took a secondary role to center of the plate, culinary innovation and profit margins. Whatever knowledge I had enjoyed prior to joining TCM was about to be tested. My first account at Jordan Valley Medical Center was an eye opening experience.

As a chef, the plate is a canvas. Construction of an entrée incorporates content and context. Color, texture, flavor and innovation are all considered in the creation of something delicious and beautiful. While each of these components are essential, crafting a plate in a health care setting adds, what I consider to be, the most important component: that the plate is a part of the healing process for our patients. This was a novel consideration for me. Admittedly, I initially paid little concern to the nutritionals, opting for my comfort level; to raise the culinary standard in the café. With great assistance from my kitchen cohorts, we attained a culinary experience that had been missing in the cafe. We introduced new grains such as: millet, quinoa, spelt, bulgur wheat, red lentils and many others to Jordan Valley. At first, these items were met with skepticism; however, free samples go a long way to opening up one’s taste buds.

As great a job as we were doing in the café, I had not addressed my primary objective, which was to apply the same level of excellence to the patient dining experience. In part, my failure to address the nutritional and healthy side of menu design was based on the intimidation of building a menu featuring the content of ingredients over the context of the design.

It is the content that matters! That lesson continues to gain clarity as I work on creating menus that reflect the primary goal of being part of the healing process, while providing tasty cuisine for all who dine with us. This is a new challenge that helps me strive towards excellence. It also speaks to a commitment that TCM has made to being the best in our field. Moreover, that desire to achieve excellence runs counter to the predominant business model that speaks for short term profitability over sustainability, context over content. Eschewing such ideology outright, TCM’s business model stands as a benchmark of rational proprietorship. That model is enhanced and secured by a future that focuses on healing. Again, content over context in menu planning - and in life itself!

Charles Kimball

Executive Chef

Healthy Eating

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:49:00 GMT

We recently met together in Boise for our annual meeting and an underlying theme of the agenda was taking personal responsibility for our own health and well-being. Tricia Sinek, a Registered Dietitian from the Franciscan Health System, educated us on the Mediterranean diet, and our founder, Thad Thomas, shared with us his own personal success with improving his health by changing his diet and exercise regimen.

It brings me to think about the fundamentals of what it means to eat healthy. A healthy diet consists of eating a variety of foods packed with nutrients. Nutrient rich foods are those that offer a significant amount of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber for the number of calories the food provides. For example, an orange is considered nutrient rich because of the vitamin C it provides; whereas, an orange soda is not nutrient rich because it does not provide any nutrients even though it still provides calories.

The fall bounty is full of nutrient rich foods. Each week over the summer, I visit a local farmer as part of a community supported agriculture program and take home a basket full of fresh and colorful vegetables. Last week, I found fresh tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, egg plant, butternut squash, potatoes, garlic, and a handful of herbs in my basket. My experiences with Thomas Cuisine chefs and culinarians have helped me create a variety of new ways to prepare these ingredients while maintaining the nutrient integrity of the food. Healthy eating is enjoying a variety of fresh, colorful, and flavorful foods with the least amount of processing possible. For example, an heirloom tomato, asparagus, and basil salad with a balsamic reduction is low in calories and sodium and packed with nutrients.

Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean meats, and dairy are all components of a healthy meal. Fruits and vegetables need make up about half of a meal and satisfy our need for sweet and savory flavors, crunchy and chewy textures, and fill us up with low calorie foods. Fruits and vegetables can also be nature’s convenience food when you are looking for something quick, easy, and portable to eat. Furthermore, half of the grains we eat should be whole grains, which are grains that have not been processed to remove the bran. Whole grains are not limited to breads and baked goods and can be prepared in a variety of enjoyable ways such as quinoa enchiladas, bulgur chili, and apple wheat berry salad. Finally, meats and dairy foods add flavor and richness to a meal and should be incorporated into meals in small portions as the finishing touch. Together, these components create a healthy and satisfying meal.

Thomas Cuisine continues to expand our healthy food offerings by menuing fresh and local fruits, vegetables, and whole grains through our local initiative at many of our stations, in our scratch made soups, and on the salad bar. We offer the Spotlite concept in many of our operations with meals under 600 calories and 30% fat. It’s exciting and invigorating to us as we find new ways to delight our customers with nutritious and delicious food.

Kelee Hansen, RD, LD

District Manager, TCM

A Great Place to Be

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:34:00 GMT

I am a recent graduate of The School of Hospitality Business (HB) at Michigan State University. They made a point of preparing us for the very best and the very worst that could be awaiting us after graduation in the “real world.” I was pretty much terrified of what the job market had to offer but luckily for me, I came across a company named “Thomas Cuisine” at my school’s HB career fair.

The first people I met with were the corporate Director of Human Resources (Craig Richey) and the President of the company itself (Mark Kadell). If that doesn’t tell you something about a company, I don’t know what will. After speaking with them, I could tell that they were good people who genuinely believe in their company. They were easy going and spoke light-heartedly, yet you could tell they were serious about what they do. The way they spoke about their company and the types of questions they were asking in the interview, it seemed as though they (as a company) had stepped back and realized what was truly important for their business and the people that work for them. I thought that if this mentality carries over into every day business, this might be a good fit for me.

It shows right in their mission statement: Great Food, Genuine Service, Enduring Relationships. It’s not quite a textbook ‘statement’ perhaps, but it’s straight to the point. Beyond their business philosophy, they have a variety of systems in place and resources for their employees to enjoy a work-life balance. That is rare now-a-days, and this company seemed to make it a priority. They spoke of the importance of retaining good employees and how that is a huge advantage in the business world. That same belief in retention applies to Thomas Cuisine’s relationships with its clients and vendors as well.

I was asked to come to Boise, ID (corporate headquarters) for a second interview and I accepted. As much as they wanted to know more about me, I still needed to know a lot more about them. Everything I had heard up to that point had been great and I was really interested to see if this company was ‘walking its talk.’

They flew me out to Idaho (by the way do not pass up the warm cookies at the DoubleTree Club if you stay there) and I had a full day of tours and meetings with different people within the company. Craig took me around to see the different types of accounts ranging from hospitals to corporate dining. I was admittedly skeptical of working at a cafeteria at first but these were not your average cafeterias. They had different stations with fun themes and a person at each one to cook your food right in front of you. They had fancy salads being made, meat being carved, pastas being tossed and sautéed. Everything was fresh and the meals themselves were more upscale than I expected. I was impressed.

Craig eventually left me alone with the staff at one of the accounts for a couple of hours and I thought, “Alright, now I get to really hear the dirt on this company.” Surprisingly though, these people had nothing negative to say about it. They all seemed genuinely proud to be a part of Thomas Cuisine. I also learned that working with Thomas Cuisine, you don’t work the typical hospitality hours of nights, weekends and holidays. On a typical day you work from about 7am to 4pm and a typical week is just Monday through Friday. To me, that seemed like a huge perk and a demonstration of how they promote a work-life balance. There are rare instances when you might have caters or special events but on average you work near-bank hours. You can be done with work and still have plenty of daylight to go on a hike, or go shopping, or whatever floats your boat!

Needless to say, when I was offered the Manager-In-Training position, I gladly accepted. I was off to my training account in Utah after graduation. The company made the transition from Michigan to Utah a lot easier by giving me the time that I needed to get my bearings. I instantly fell in love with Utah because, well… you try not loving feeling like you live inside of a painting each and every day. They just don’t have mountains like this in Michigan. Aside from how beautiful it is here, I was anxiously waitingto start a new chapter of my life with Thomas Cuisine.

I started at a corporate account in Provo, UT. I began training in June with the on-site Food Service Director. He was very welcoming and has been a great teacher. He’s been working in the food industry for about 20 years so he has a lot of experience and lessons-learned to share. I have been learning the ins and outs of managing a foodservice account from operations to financials to HR, etc… I do not have an extensive cooking background so he has been focusing on getting me more practice in the kitchen and cooking at the stations. That has been a lot of fun and a great way to interact with the customers. Since it’s a corporate setting you see a lot of the same faces every day and it has been great getting to know all the regulars.

I have been steadily figuring things out and have been building a sturdier grasp on how this business operates. The more comfortable I get with the basics, the more I get to explore different projects for the company and different ways to improve business. There is always room to grow and it’s our job to find ways to make that happen. The creative freedom that you have with this company makes these projects a lot of fun!

It has been four months of training now and I still feel like I am learning something new every single day. I feel challenged intellectually and creatively and each day is different. I love not always knowing what to expect and I love that I don’t sit at a desk all day. My job is active. My job is working with people. My job is working with food. My job is maintaining order. My job is being creative. My job is ... pretty great so far J and I look forward to a great future with Thomas Cuisine Management.

Kelsey Weitekamp

Thomas Cuisine Management, Manager in Training

MSU Graduate, 2011

Economic Denominators are Only Half the Story

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:58:00 GMT

We are in the people business. We spend much of our time pleasing our clients, guests, and patients. Unfortunately, our success there is often hard to measure. Further, our clients often want “quantifiable value” when we discuss the impact our partnership and service. Don’t misunderstand - economic denominators and key performance indicators can illustrate positive change and value. However, they don’t always represent the entirety and true impact of our services.

Even without relationship management or executive reporting (yes, there are organizations that don’t see the need for either), I believe Economic Denominators are absolutely essential for leaders to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of their respective operations. In our case, data regarding kitchen operations and the consumer experience are critical. Economic Denominators can reflect the drivers within the original proposal, monitor the added value of Thomas Cuisine and most importantly, provide a tool to isolate areas for improvement and progress in those areas. I gravitate to these facts and figures. They are predictable, measurable, and with some work easy to present.

If Economic Denominators are used to measure quantitative strengths and weaknesses in performance and also the progressive improvement, I say they are effective. However, it seems unreasonable to use these as the only measure of value. If you’ve stayed connect to our company’s blog, you have read about some of the things our staff does to impact other lives when they are in need. How would you express the value of Chef Vern Bauer’s hand made-to-order meal for a couple undergoing chemotherapy and their 15^th wedding anniversary simultaneously in the hospital? Could it reasonably be expressed by the equation (Stress and Fear / Warmth, Caring and Giving = Value)? I don’t think so.

Caring and economics and caring and administrative practices are often considered in conflict with each other…The dominant institutional values and commitments are informed and guided by economics, technology, medical science, and administrative theory, instead of basic considerations of what it means to be human, to be vulnerable, to be ill, to be cured, to be cared for, to be healthy, and to be healed… This language conjures up an image of impersonal, functional exchange of fees for services or goods that require no humanity or human relationship, no authentic caring connection, no mutuality, and no compassionate human service ethic, philosophy, or value that guides the system…Caring and economics, however, are not mutually exclusive, in that human caring is an essential resource. Cost-benefit and cost- effectiveness models can and must include human caring healing— as a value-added resource, a foundational asset, as well as a more humane model to serve the whole.[i]

This argument made so eloquently by Dr. Watson is at the heart of our organizational values. Further, I argue it is the reason we are in the food service business. In all of our operations we hope to be a significant contributor to the caring that is so critical in the healing process. I encourage you to read Dr. Watson’s paper and consider the implications. While I have yet to arrive at a quantitative expression to illustrate the value of caring and a giving experience, there is value in giving a heartfelt well prepared meal to all of those we touch.

Greg Turpen, Vice President of Operations

Thomas Cuisine Management

[i] Watson, Jean. Caring Theory as an Ethical Guide to Administrative and Clinical Practices (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. 2006)

The Last Supper

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:08:00 GMT

Video Blog: See and hear Chef Vern Bauer narrate his hearfelt blog originally posted in April 2011.

The year is flying by. Faster it seems then it did the year before. When I stop to think about it, I get the mental cinematic vision of the movie Hachi, starring Richard Gere. It’s a true story about a dog that faithfully waits by a train station for his beloved master to come home, continuously for 10 years, after his owner has already passed on.

The scene where the tree in the background shows the passing of time, replays in my mind, where in a few moments the leaves grow on the branches and change color and then blow away with the passing of each season. It’s a strong visual reminder to me that the time we have on this earth is precious and really not as long as we would like it to be.

My background started like so many in this field with the addictive, high-profile events that we all love to reminisce about… the dinner for the dignitary or the movie star, that wedding of a lifetime –complete with ice swans and edible presentation vessels, the time we catered for ten thousand people or this elite reception or that unforgettable event in an airport hanger... I’m sure all of us have these memories of tremendous effort and skillful outcomes that have helped make us who we are. We’ve seen so much it seems and in some ways, seen so little.

I’m thankful for those times and happy to have shared experiences with so many other passionate people in the field. But the part I didn’t realize that would have the most impact on me didn’t have anything to do with any grandiose function or ostentatious event. Instead it was the most small and ordinary thing I’ve ever done in my career that has left me with the most profound feeling of personal and professional connection.

Some nurses would call it a “healthcare moment.” I guess I didn’t know what to call it because I’ve not had an experience over the last 10 years at Saint Alphonsus that was anything like it– or for that matter- at any point in my time as a chef.

The call came at 10 o’clock in the morning. While the request was being made, my mind was racing through the mental hurdles we all probably tune in to at the same time a request is being made, to do something off the beaten path. A quick mental check up of our already tight schedule, a glance at the clock, a brief pattern of management flowed through my thoughts, got to do line check, place the order…etc etc.

It didn’t sound especially difficult at first. The request was for a simple “dinner for two on the fourth floor garden” for a couple who were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary here while the gentleman was under going serious cancer treatment. He’d been here in the hospital for months. His favorite meal was crab legs, Caesar salad tossed at the table and crème brulee or something like that for dessert. Piece of cake I thought. Not really the case as I was soon to learn. The nurse on the phone, asking if I would consider doing something like this on such short notice, hadn’t mentioned the hardest part. The final sentence she said was it was to be their last anniversary dinner together.

It took a few seconds to realize what she just said. For some reason I needed to clarify what she just told me and at the very same moment I already knew the answer.

My grip tightened on the phone and the internal and external noise which, just moments before were so loud, had nearly muted themselves and my complete, full and absolute attention became one with this request at that very moment. It was to be the very last “celebration-like” thing that they as a married couple were to have with one another the nurse said.

My mother had had terminal cancer and at that second, while the nurse’s words came into my ear, I was back in 1998, saying the Lord’s Prayer with my mom for the last time – and then I thought of the length of time the couple had been married for and compared it to my own marriage. “God, he’s got to be my age,” I thought…

Each reflection was just a nanosecond long, but each created more motivation why I was totally invested in doing this for them – no matter what needed to be cancelled or done to make it happen.

I didn’t hesitate in saying yes – and as you could probably imagine, it was the best meal I could serve. The weather was a little windy that afternoon and it made cooking table side slightly challenging and even entertaining for fleeting moments. The fauna of the garden terrace embraced us as we shared the moment. It was really the nicest place in the hospital to have a meal like this. Even though the hospital’s exterior walls prevented the view of the mountain range, the new tower’s architecture added an artistic touch of scenery. A volunteer softly played the flute a few steps back from us and made it seem, for a split second, that we were on location at some exclusive resort.

Both the husband & wife were very kind and welcoming with thanks- she, dressed in her best outfit and he, semi seated in the gurney - still with the IV unit - donned a festive “tuxedo & tie” bib to mark the occasion that the floor nurses had bought for him. He wasn’t always conscious during the meal. At times, he would drift off as if he was almost sleeping. His wife would take these moments to have a bite herself. When he awoke she tended to the feeding of him. You could feel the love they had for one another –it was obvious.

Dinner concluded and as I packed to leave I stopped back to the table to take the woman’s hand and affectionately thank her for the privilege to serve her. It was at this moment the man suddenly awoke. His face turned up to me and after a moment to gather himself, he took a breath and smiling he said, “That was a wonderful meal – thank you so much chef.”

I was humbled by his sincerity and taken aback, that given the circumstances, here he was paying a compliment to someone. I took his hand and told him that it was entirely my pleasure. It was I that really was given a gift.

Of all the things that we spend our time on this earth doing, saying, starting or finishing – this person had the capacity to show kindness and thanks under the most severe conditions – I was moved by this lesson in humility. Our chance meeting that had aligned itself in my life reminded me that, it is truly the little things that mean the most. That it isn’t always about the glitz and the glamor – but about the time we spend with one another and that the seemingly smallest actions can make the most profound impact in our lives.

Chef Vernon Bauer

Executive Chef for Thomas Cuisine Management
@ Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center

The Gift of Service

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:25:00 GMT

Part of TCM’s vision is to give back and contribute to the communities where we work and live. This vision would be an empty sentiment if our associates did not share our common values. The easy way to give back is by providing monetary support. However, this is minimal when you consider the time and effort that so many of our associates put forth toward contributing to our communities.

The gift of service and the art of food are combined to support many fund raising events in the various communities where we operate. We are fortunate to be an integral part of a wide range of events, creating awareness around good health, supporting cancer prevention, helping charity and benefit golf tournaments, providing healthy food options at triathlons, and making exclusive VIP events special. Our talented and dedicated associates have become known for supporting countless events where the focal point and the center of excellence is the food served at these events.

I am able to attend some of these events and love seeing managers and associates come together to display their passion for creating memorable experiences. Seeing this reinforces how fortunate I am to be a part of this company and working with individuals who believe in our vision and doing what we love – creating great food and delivering genuine service.

Mark Kadell, President and CEO

Thomas Cuisine Management

Sharpening the Saw

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:12:00 GMT

I’ve worked for Thomas Cuisine for twenty-two years and am frequently asked why I’ve stayed for so long; my safe answer has always been “because the company has treated me well.” The more I consider this though, the more I want to define what “treated me well” really means.

When I interviewed with the owner of our company, I told him that as a young restaurant professional it was important to work for a company that had, and could provide me, growth potential. He told me that he was looking for creative minded business people, with a food and/or service background, that wanted to be a part of helping a young company reach its full potential. This was a perfect fit.

Over the years our company has grown more than ten-fold. What I appreciate most about working for TCM is that the company has not changed in its expectation and commitment that its associates never stop growing and developing. I have been encouraged to keep “sharpening the saw.” As I’ve matured in age and experience, I find that my business acumen, my leadership abilities, and my management practices have also matured; and it’s safe to say that it’s not coincidental. I’ve had numerous opportunities to stretch my abilities within our company, progressing from smaller to larger and more complex pieces of business, as well as different roles. As I reflect on my history with TCM, I realize that as I’ve advanced within my chosen profession, the company that I work for has played a significant part in developing the skills and abilities that have facilitated my professional advancement.

I appreciate that over the years I have been allowed the autonomy to operate my pieces of business using my creative mind and business acumen, while simultaneously having the support of a company that is as concerned about my development as it is about its own growth. It is rewarding to be involved for so long in a true “win-win” relationship.

Hal Hersley

Senior Food Service Director

The Journey into Healthcare....

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:49:00 GMT

I have spent the last 18 years feeding people. As a trained Chef I have traveled extensively and worked in many different aspects of food service. I have worked in and managed restaurants, bakeries, hotels, wilderness lodges and on cruise ships. I have honored with awards and news articles, I taught cooking classes for television as well as for local community college, high schools and women’s groups, I even cooked for the National Governor’s Conference for the governors of the United States of America. Through out all those years there was always something missing. A few years ago I was nearly ready to throw in the towel and start a new career when an opportunity that seemed absurd crossed my path.

In August of 2006 I accepted a Food Service Director position at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, Montana. We are a Planetree hospital; meaning that we treat the whole patient: mind, body and spirit.

Working in healthcare has provided me with a drive to change the perception and stigma that comes along with “hospital food.” Prior to working in healthcare, I would have never dreamed of the healing power through food. I believe I have found what has been missing all those years: A chance to give the gift of appetizing, nutritious and delicious meals to those in their greatest time of need.

I have found a new passion for my career and can only see a bright future with an opportunity to continue sharing the goodness and health we provide.

Amy Foote
Food Service Director
North Valley Hospital

Team First

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:51:00 GMT

I am fortunate enough to be able to coach my son’s all star baseball team. These little guys are dedicating 45 days of their summer to playing America’s pastime. It has been a wild ride thus far. We have had a successful run to date and looking forward to a great finish to the season.

Part of what has made our season so much fun is the basic concept of teamwork. No one player is greater than the team – no one coach is greater than the rest of the staff.   It is through our respectful collaboration and “team first” attitude that drives our on-field success.

Teamwork is one of Thomas Cuisine’s core values. And one that I am happy to state thrives in our culture. Since coming on board with TCM, the value I see that is most impactful and applied in our client sites is Teamwork.

Our client sites are staffed with exceptionally talented people - people who can create amazing outcomes with their creativity and professionalism.   When these same people willingly go the “extra mile” (sometimes many, many miles) to help out their co-workers in big caterings or new business openings – truly spectacular events take place.

At one of our catered events at an executive conference in Montana this past month, the conference attendees literally paused the conference, asked our team to come out from the kitchen, and proceeded to give them a standing ovation for the excellence they delivered. That only happens when leaders and staff apply and embrace a “team first” attitude.

Teamwork is so often referenced in the business world, but so often not applied.   Ego’s, tight schedules, fear, etc… keep us from reaching our collective success.   I challenge you in your business to embrace teamwork as a real and practical way to boost productivity and drive a cultural shift that will almost certainly improve the outcomes you seek to attain.

Aaron Coleman
Director of Business Development