FoodService Director: Renovated KC Cafe aims to better appeal to the customer
By Amanda Baltazar
KC Cafe at Children’s Mercy Kansas City has undergone a complete renovation to modernize the space and change it from being child-centric to child-friendly.
Cafe customers are mostly hospital employees and parents of young patients, so the updates better reflect the clientele and offer a respite for weary workers and worried family members. However, there’s still plenty to keep kids happy.
"The prior design was more than 20 years old and had a diner theme, with lots of black and white, stainless steel, dark walls and a juke box. The space was starting to get tired and lacked a modern feel,” says Scott Gage, vice president of support services at Children’s Mercy.
Half walls and dividers have come down, opening up the space and allowing natural light to penetrate. Previously, customers entered through a kind of tunnel and only saw the food stations in front of them. Now, they have a view of the entire cafe and seating area as soon as they’re inside.
It also has a much more logical flow, Gage says, more like a food hall, with four serveries grouped around a central area that contains a grab-and-go market, a coffee shop and two Sally the Robot salad vending machines.
Read the full article via FoodService Director