Courtesy Cedarhurst Senior Living
Christian Gullet, corporate executive chef
Courtesy Cedarhurst Senior Living
Cedarhurst Senior Living recently tapped chef Christian Gullet, an executive chef with more than 25 years experience in the kitchens of large-scale dining operations, to create a “CRAFTED by Cedarhurst” dining experience to accommodate more than 4,000 residents.
“It’s a restaurant-style concept that provides more choices for our residents,” says Gullet, Cedarhurst Senior Living’s corporate executive chef. “That changes our entire dining program, what staff is doing, how they’re executing, everything from their setup to their lines to everything that goes through it.”
The aim of the new “CRAFTED by Cedarhurst Menu" is to provide a restaurant-style dining experience. All menu items will be fresh, made-to-order, and offered a la carte. The program will allow residents to choose when they eat and what they want to eat. (For example, residents can have breakfast for dinner, or dinner for breakfast.) Gullet also worked with a St. Louis–based dietician to develop menus that will highlight dishes with antioxidants and that are critical for seniors’ mental health.
Based in Clayton, Cedarhurst Senior Living operates nearly 60 communities in eight states, including area locations in Des Peres, Arnold, St. Charles, Tesson Heights, Highland, Granite City, and Farmington. Cedarhurst Senior Living plans to introduce the new concept in two to three communities per week over the next several months—no small feat, considering the nationwide shortage of restaurant workers. At the same time, as more baby boomers reach retirement, the number of Americans requiring extended health care is expected to increase by 50 percent over the next seven years.
"Following a balanced diet as part of a healthy lifestyle improves heart and brain function and reduces the risk of many serious conditions, including strokes, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Gullet.
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Courtesy Cedarhurst Senior Living
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Courtesy Cedarhurst Senior Living
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Courtesy Cedarhurst Senior Living
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Courtesy Cedarhurst Senior Living
A graduate of the culinary program at Forest Park Community College, Gullet started as an apprentice in the kitchen of Greenbriar Hills Country Club before spending a decade as executive chef for area hotel groups, including Hilton and Starwood. He then spent years with Sodexo at SSM Health DePaul Hospital, where he was named "Culinary Champion." When Gullet noticed many talented chefs were taking jobs in the senior living space, he decided to make the leap himself. After three-year stints overseeing the dining programs at Lutheran Senior Services at Mason Point and The Esquiline, Gullet took the new role at Cedarhurst Senior Living.
Gullet is encouraged by the reception to the program so far. “You sense the nervousness from the whole team. They’re saying, ‘This seems like a lot,’ but then you roll it out, and the residents are raving, saying ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this!’” says Gullet. “This is something that I haven’t had an opportunity to do before.”
