At Cassia, dining brings residents together, supports well-being and creates meaningful moments throughout the day. Over the past year, our culinary program has gained new strength through the combined leadership of Regional Director of Operations Sheri Ruehle and Corporate Chef Ricco Mejia. Their shared focus on quality, training and teamwork is helping elevate the dining experience across Cassia communities.

Corporate Chef Has Made a Difference

Over the years, Sheri saw steady progress as Cassia and individual communities worked to improve food service and training.

“We had done what we could but there was a hole,” Sheri says. “That’s what Ricco has filled for us.”

Ricco’s background and experience, including 13 years at Regent at Burnsville, served as the missing pieces that filled the gap.

“I want to be the best. I want to push people to be the best,” Ricco says. “I’m trying to train our skilled staff to work in a more professional kitchen. They’re learning how to do it from scratch.”

Designing Menus for Diverse Communities

Creation of menus that work across many different settings poses a complex challenge because Cassia’s communities vary widely.

“That’s a great focus for this entire company,” Ricco says. “It’s not easy to do and creates challenges because every single site is very different: different delivery models, equipment and staff.”

Building a flexible menu that works in all these environments is no small task; one that Ricco tackled head-on.

“This menu is one of the hardest ones I’ve put together because it has to flex or morph to work in every community,” he says.

Not only do culinary directors receive the menus, but also guidance on what products and methods to use to prepare those meals.

The Return of Culinary Academy

Cassia partnered with PDN Consulting and US Foods to reintroduce the culinary academy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Novice culinary staff strengthen their cooking skills by practicing popular dishes, learning efficient kitchen workflows and exploring techniques that help maintain quality from preparation through service.

“That’s helpful because we’re bringing in people with limited experience and expecting them to make things they’ve never made before,” Sheri says.

Supporting Culinary Directors and Attracting New Talent

The resources now available are making a difference for culinary directors across Cassia.

“Our culinary directors are loving these resources, driving us to have more qualified chefs and cooks applying,” Sheri says.

Ricco shares a similar perspective: “We’re making sure when we bring people on that they understand they have a full suite of support.”

Regular communication with culinary teams makes up a major part of his role.

“There are questions that come up every single day,” Ricco says. “I spend a large portion of my time building relationships with the directors. They need to believe in what we’re doing. there needs to be passion that goes into cooking.”

His work with culinary directors takes many forms.

“It can be working side by side with cooks, working with directors on how to order and working to make sure they are more organized and productive. There are a lot of nuances to being a culinary director. It’s not just about cooking food,” Ricco says.

Building Connection Across Communities

Ricco and Sheri both want culinary directors to feel supported and connected to one another. Ricco hosts culinary chats to both facilitate conversations and foster relationships between culinary directors in different communities.

“That’s a time for them to talk about what’s working or not working on the menu,” Sheri says. “We’re just making sure we’re hearing them where they’re at.”

I want directors to know each other and be able to bounce ideas off each other,” Ricco says. “We’re seeing some of the results of that right now. I see a tight knit community and people talking back and forth. That’s going to make us stronger when we unite together. We don’t want people feeling like they’re on an island.”

That’s especially true for new culinary directors, who Sheri and Ricco send to a specific Cassia community with a high-performing culinary department to make connections and learn the tricks of the trade.

Recognizing Progress and Talent

Ricco is proud of the team Cassia has built.

“We have such talent in the company now. It’s a great testament to what Sheri has been doing for a long time,” he says.

Seeing residents enjoy the results is deeply meaningful to him. Residents at one community even asked if they had hired new chefs because the food had improved.

“It’s a great feeling when you get unsolicited compliments on all the hard work you put in to try to make things better,” Ricco says. “It’s why I show up every day and try as hard as I can. All our staff are going to feel better when they’re doing better.”

Dining as a Full Experience

For Ricco, culinary work covers far more than cooking.

“It’s full circle,” he says. “It starts when the shipments come in and goes all the way through end of service. Food is only a portion of what we’re doing. There is so much more going on in the dining room. Customer service is such a huge piece of what we’re trying to do here.”

Serving the same residents each day creates a meaningful opportunity to customize the culinary experience for them.

“What an advantage we have having the same customers every day and getting to know them,” Ricco says.

Looking Ahead

Through stronger menus, deeper training, shared learning and a supportive culture, Cassia’s culinary program is growing in new and inspiring ways. Sheri and Ricco’s leadership is helping communities provide meals that bring comfort, connection and joy to residents every day.