Healthier Cafe a Sales Boon to Hospital

University Hospital in Columbia, MO, has seen a 10-percent increase in annual sales since its converted a traditional all-you-care-to-eat buffet dining concept into a the healthier-food-focused Essentials Cafe, reports the Columbia Daily Tribune. The former eatery, the Main street Cafe, also tended to emphasize fried foods before its 2009 closing, while Essentials offers greater variety focused on healthier fare like salads.

The new concept also makes more efficient use of labor, so that it has been able to expand hours without adding staff. Beneficiaries include "graveyard shift" employees, as Essentials is open from midnight to 2 am.