Elior North America doubles down on senior dining with Culinesse investment

Elior North America has invested in Culinesse, a foodservice start-up focused on the senior-living segment, forming a strategic partnership with the brand that will build on Elior’s reach in healthcare.

Culinesse was created by Mitch Possinger, the founder of Cura Hospitality, which has been an Elior subsidiary since 2015. 

“We believe strongly in the mission of Culinesse, which is focused on personalized service, food and social impact that can best be executed by the highly customized and curated approach of a boutique hospitality brand,” Olivier Poirot, president and CEO of Elior North America, said in a statement. “We’re proud to support the brand’s bold ambitions and unique offering within the rapidly growing Life Plan Community segment which directly complements our growing presence in the healthcare industry with Cura Hospitality.”

Possinger will soon be joined by Lisa Schairer, Cura’s managing director, who will take on the role of co-founder and managing partner of Culinesse. 

In addition to healthcare, Elior North America, part of Elior Group, oversees dining operations on campuses in K-12, higher ed and elsewhere.