Fast Casual Restaurants in Hospitals

Nation’s Restaurant News details the latest trend in healthcare— an elevated dining scene in hospitals. Hospitals are infamous for serving inedible cafeteria food that does anything but promote health, ironically. Patients’ higher expectations have led Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago to construct a 70,000-square-foot dining and retail space, “Shop & Dine Northwestern,” which includes local, relatively healthy fast-casual brands including GRK Greek Kitchen, Sopraffina Marketcaffe, Protein Bar, Saigon Sisters and Au Bon Pain.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital did not have to work hard to propose the concept to restaurant operators, as the proximity to Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” and constant foot traffic are compelling enough reasons to open. Another obvious perk to opening fast casual restaurants inside hospitals is the 24-hour operations.

Operators are taking note of the success of fast casual concepts in urban hospitals nationwide. “The trend in restaurants is that folks are trying to cater menus to healthier, fresher options, and given that we’re in health care, it was important for us,” explained Gina Weldy, vice president of real estate for Northwestern Memorial. “In the work environment we’re in now, people eat three meals a day near the office. These concepts give us the ability to offer that.”