SENIOR DINING
O n the west side of Colorado Springs, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, there is a plot of land that was first slated for a senior living facility in 2015. The owner later shelved those plans and Presbyterian Manors of Mid- America (PMMA) bought the land in 2019, announcing they would build a gorgeous new life plan complex called Aberdeen Ridge. But then COVID hit. PMMA finally began site work in 2021 and planned to open in spring 2023—but additional construction challenges and delays hampered those plans. The first resident didn’t move in until October 2024, and three months later, Aberdeen Ridge now has only about 40 residents on site. Yet Aberdeen Ridge is already a vibrant community, thanks in large part to efforts from the foodservice team to make the complex feel like home even with many spaces not yet open: welcome wagons for new residents, potluck parties, poker nights, chef demonstration dinners and much more. “We honestly thought once residents had been here a few weeks, some might just eat in their rooms—but they’re
here in the dining room every night. And not at the four-tops, but at the big community table,” says Executive Chef Carl Sette, who is employed by Cura Hospitality. “It’s a real sense of community. They want to engage with each other, and with us.” General Manager Robert Huckels has carefully tended to that sense of engagement since he was hired in May 2023, at which time everyone expected that the residents would soon be moving in. Instead Huckels, who is also employed by Cura, had to find a way to form relationships with depositors— while they all waited another year and a half for Aberdeen Ridge to welcome its first resident. “We’ve had to keep them engaged and excited about their new home even though it wasn’t ready yet,” says Huckels. “It wasn’t the original plan, but it ended up becoming a very easy transition over time: I got to know them through food and over a few glasses of wine. It all blossomed from there.” Huckels, who acted as executive chef until Sette joined in August 2024, first introduced himself to the future residents through a variety of chef demonstrations starting in May 2023.
Aberdeen Ridge: Providing Community Connection Through Food
The dining team at the recently opened senior living community has faced one roadblock after another but has still found ways to engage residents before they’ve even stepped foot inside their new home.
BY JULIANNE PEPITONE
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QUARTERLY | Q1
PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHMOND DESIGN & MARKETING AGENCY / FIVE19
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