After years leading restaurant and hotel kitchens—including as executive chef at the Saint Paul Hotel—Chris found a different path at Cassia. His story shows how serving more than meals can provide hospitality professionals with better balance, meaningful relationships, and renewed purpose.

Today, as culinary director at Harmony Gardens in Maplewood, Minnesota, Chris sees food as more than something served on a plate. For him, the real reward comes from creating comfort, connection, and community for residents every day.

The organization’s supportive culture ultimately made him excited to lead a culinary team again.

A Chef’s Journey Begins at Home

Chris refers to cooking as his “family trade.” His father was a chef his entire adult life, his mother was a server, and his sister works as a hostess.

“So, it was kind of just a natural progression for me,” he says.

He has early memories of sitting around the dinner table enjoying his favorite meal of tender pot roast, boiled potatoes and roasted vegetables.

“It’s just good hearty food that really sticks to your soul,” Chris says.

His goal now is to help residents have similar experiences with their favorite meals.

From Executive Chef to Senior Living Leader

Chris’s passion for food led him to a culinary career. He worked his way up to executive chef at the Saint Paul Hotel, leading restaurant and banquet operations. But long hours and stress took a toll.

“It’s definitely a bit of a brutal career,” Chris says. “You are kind of expected to work six or seven days of long shifts, sometimes 12 or 13 hours in a day.”

Feeling burned out, Chris decided he needed a change of pace, which led him to a senior living culinary career.

From Hospitality to Healthcare

When Chris found a job as a float cook supporting a few Cassia senior living communities, he jumped at the opportunity to step away from management.

At Cassia, he felt supported. So, when the opportunity arose to become the culinary director at Harmony Gardens, he felt confident taking the position and stepping back into a leadership role.

“The company culture was so great that I felt completely confident and comfortable coming back into management in this environment,” Chris says.

He especially appreciates support provided by a corporate chef, regional director of operations, and the administrator at his community, among others.

“It definitely makes you feel empowered to do a good job,” Chris says of the support network Cassia provides.

Contrasting Culinary Careers

Even with stepping back into a leadership position, Chris’s job now is distinctly different from his previous chef roles. The biggest difference is his schedule.

“My schedule since I’ve started with Cassia has been very consistent,” Chris says.

He has noticed a positive impact on his work-life balance, especially when it comes to being able to get away for a while and recharge.

“There were times before when my wife and I were trying to plan vacations or trips to go places and it was always very up in the air until it would end up fizzling out or getting cancelled,” Chris says. “I haven’t had to do that once since I started with Cassia. They are very, very accommodating and things have honestly just been great.”

Same Clientele, Deeper Connections

While some restaurants have regulars who dine there multiple times a week, Harmony Gardens residents eat meals prepared by Chris’s culinary team every day.

“Cooking for the same people every day is a bit of a change, but I’d say 100 percent in the positive,” Chris says. “When you know your residents and you know the people you’re working with every day, there is a little bit more consistency.”

He realized that even when he was being trained at Park View in Buffalo, Minnesota.

“As I was getting walked through the building and being showed what to do and where, people were asking about our cooks, their families, and how their lives were doing,” Chris says. “It’s very nice to have that personal touch with the residents.”

Comfort Food Brings People Together

Just like Chris, residents have nostalgic meals, and some of them are the same as his.

“Pot roast, meatloaf, and hotdish are definitely some of the meals that the residents love the most,” Chris says.

Familiar foods create a sense of home and connection, so he works plenty of those meals into the rotation featuring 30 different options each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

He also tries to tailor meals to residents’ needs as much as possible.

“When a resident comes to us with a special request or a change in life where their diet is going to need to change to follow it, we always try to take care of them to the best of our abilities,” Chris says.

A Team Effort

Chris sees how everyone comes together to serve residents’ best interests.

“Our servers, our cooks, our caregivers, everybody in this building does a fantastic job,” he says. “You can really tell that everybody cares about what they’re doing and it’s not just a paycheck for them. You can see it from the way they’re interacting with residents, the way they carry themselves through the halls, and the way they say, ‘How are you doing?’ when they pass by you. It’s definitely more of a community environment here.”

Team members support one another and have a team supporting them, as well.

“The team culture here at Cassia is absolutely fantastic,” Chris says. “You always feel supported no matter what you’re doing. You always have somebody to reach out to, whether it be our on-site administrators or our home office team.”

Furthermore, Chris appreciates the processes and service standards Cassia has in place—values like excellence, integrity, and respect.

Helping Team Members Grow

Chris himself went from being a cook to a culinary director, so he knows firsthand how Cassia helps employees grow their careers.

“People can definitely build a career here at Cassia,” Chris says. “There are many instances where I’ve seen people have started on the ground level and built their way up. There’s plenty of career growth here, especially with as many locations as we have.”

For example, Chris had hired an exceptional server. In a matter of months, that server was promoted to dining room supervisor.

The Cassia Difference

Chris can relate to restaurant and hospitality professionals who have been burnt out by that industry and believes Cassia provides a positive alternative.

“I can honestly say from my personal experience that Cassia is much different,” he says.

He touts work-life balance, a supportive culture, and a team environment as benefits of working for Cassia.

“It’s a completely different environment and it’s not something that you want to get rid of any time soon,” Chris says.

Serve More Than Meals

Chris believes people who care about others and want to make a difference can build meaningful careers at Cassia.

“I love what I do; I love cooking; I love working with others; and I love supporting others,” he says. “And I’m just very glad to be able to do it in an environment that supports me while I support others.”

He invites those who have culinary experience and a passion for serving others to join him at Cassia.

“I think to be a good fit in this organization, you definitely have to care about others,” Chris says.

If you’re looking for a culinary career with better work-life balance, stronger team support, and meaningful resident connections explore Cassia’s careers and benefits and search current opportunities today.