Mayo Clinic St. Marys adds plant-based patient menu options, upgrades retail dining venues

Mayo Clinic Food Services, managed by Morrison Healthcare, serves over 3,000 patients and staff a day throughout the six buildings that make up the Saint Marys Campus.

Utilizing a blend of patient dining programs, Food Services offers individualized nutrition care to complex patients. Over 300 food allergens are tracked and 23 menus are available in seven languages. Menus were updated in 2023 to increase plant-based offerings and replicate an upscale dining experience.

Meal programs unique to Saint Marys include gluten-free offerings prepared fresh at the Mayo Clinic Certified Gluten-Free kitchen, special meals for extended stay patients in transplant units, a specialized pediatric menu, and human milk and formula prepared by certified nutrition techs in the Nutritional Lab. The human milk program, which the hospital says is one of the most advanced in the world, supports the care and nutrition of the tiniest patients, babies in the NICU and other natal units. Technicians partner with members of five specialized care teams to properly intake, store, fortify, and deliver human milk to each baby to provide the nutrition needed for growth and healing.

In 2023, Mayo Clinic Rochester was recognized as a Practice Greenhealth Food Circle of Excellence location, which recognizes the top food sustainability hospitals in the nation. The introduction of plant-forward menus, local supplier partnerships, reduction of food waste, and food rescue programs contributed to this national award. Annually, Mayo Clinic Rochester diverts 388 tons of food waste from the waste stream. Community donations, reuse programs like Waste Not Wag A Lot, and partnerships with local farmers for use as fertilizer or animal food all contribute to this waste diversion. Guests at Saint Marys are also invited to do their part by participating in the Hug Your Mug program, which encourages guests to use a reusable mug when enjoying locally sourced coffee.

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The newly named Sisters Kitchen, the main staff dining venue, received significant updates to layout, equipment, and millwork. The new name recognizes the role the Sisters have played in caring for patients and staff at Mayo Clinic.

An FM Best Concept Award recipient in 2023, The Hub retail outlet at Saint Marys offers 24/7 food access, ordering technology, and rotating micro-concept menus make it a fast and appealing meal option for Mayo Clinic staff.

Meanwhile, Courtyard Commons, the primary patient and visitor dining location at Saint Marys, has also undergone renovations in 2023. The updates expand guest seating areas, reduce congestion around the popular coffee shop, and increase natural light to support the overall wellness factor of guests dining in the commons. Courtyard Commons will be a third concept throughout Mayo Clinic sites that will offer table served dining, elevating the overall experience for all patients and visitors while on campus.

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Other dining locations throughout campus offer specialty coffee, convenient grab n’ go items produced by the local Rochester Mayo Clinic commissary, and snacks and beverages.