Best Concept Winners Panel Discuss How They Did It

(l. to r.) Kerry Paterson, CEC, executive chef/assistant director of culinary operations at the University of Colorado-Boulder; Lisa Larsen Hill, senior VP of marketing/creative services for Sodexo; Jennifer Larson, administrative director for Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center; and Mike Folino, assistant director of dining at Ohio State University Medical Center. Photography by Scott Windus

A group of 2011 FM Best Concept Award winners gave presentations on how they designed and implemented their winning concepts. Kerry Paterson, CEC, of Best of Show winner University of Colorado-Boulder said the school's award-winning C4C dining center was strategically designed to attract students with its ambiance and food selections. “We wanted a lot of entertainment and sensory experience,” he said.

Sodexo Senior VP Lisa Larsen Hill noted the benefits of Best Management Company Concept winner “Be,” a site enhancement program for B&I. “Productivity is important to clients,” she said. “So is getting people into the cafés, so we needed to understand the behaviors that govern participation at different sites.”

Ohio State University Medical Center's Mike Folino discussed Best Customer Service Concept winner Ernie's Cafe, which serves rehab patients and families. “We customized the menu to the type of patient,” Foligno said. “For example, the goal was to have a disphagia version of all items so that those patients wouldn't feel neglected.”

Jennifer Larson of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, talked about Best Wellness Concept winner 500 Club, which operators use to certify their offerings as healthy. “McDonald's runs a lot of 500 Club ads touting their participation,” Larson said, citing one prominent client.