Fresh Eyes.Exceptional Hospitality.
From operational reviews and dining transitions to design guidance and culinary training and support, we deliver proven strategies that streamline operations and enhance the guest dining experience.
Your dining program is your best sales tool.
We’ll help you make it shine.
Recognize any of these challenges? You're not alone.
You don't have to figure it out alone.
Talk With a ConsultantOperational experts behind the dining experience.
We are an operational consulting firm that specializes in hospitality and dining services. We help your organization improve dining operations, strengthen financial performance, and enhance your residents' and guests' dining experience.
Our team brings together decades of real-world experience across senior living, university dining, hotel and resort operations, country clubs, and corporate dining, giving us a uniquely broad perspective on what it takes to run exceptional programs.
Innovate
Develop practical solutions that improve the dining experience while preparing your operation for the future.
Optimize
Increase efficiency, strengthen financial performance, and build processes that support long-term success.
Partner
Work alongside experienced consultants who stay engaged from strategy through implementation.
Better Dining Starts With Better Operations.
Is your dining program meeting expectations—or just getting by?
Explore our six services to see where we can help you identify gaps, strengthen operations, and improve results.
Operational Assessment
Gain a clear understanding of what's working, what's holding your dining program back, and where the greatest opportunities exist.
We evaluate your culinary operations, staffing, financial performance, service delivery, and overall dining experience. Then we give you practical, actionable recommendations backed by decades of real-world operational expertise. When a program needs more than a fresh look, we stay on to help you put the plan in place, train your team and get performance back on track.
Operational Analysis
Get a clear picture of what's happening and why.
Strategy Development
Create a practical plan for meaningful improvement.
Improve Performance
Turn recommendations into operational improvements.
Turnaround Consulting
Hands-on support to implement the plan and train your team
Signs You May Need an Assessment
- Rising food and labor costs
- Inconsistent dining experiences
- Staffing and workflow challenges
- Resident or guest satisfaction concerns
- Aging dining concepts that no longer meet expectations
What You Can Expect
- On-site operational assessment
- Evaluation of culinary, service, staffing, and workflows
- Identification of cost-saving and efficiency opportunities
- Benchmarking against industry best practices
- A detailed action plan with practical recommendations
Facilitating Dining Transitions
Navigate dining program transitions with a clear plan, experienced guidance, and support at every stage.
Whether you're transitioning to or from an outsourced dining program, we manage the details for a successful change. From documentation and RFP administration to contract reviews and meal plan development, we provide hands-on guidance that protects service quality, operational continuity, and clear communication across teams.
Signs You May Need Transition Support
- You need help selecting the right dining partner
- Contracts, service agreements, or billing structures need careful review
- Multiple teams need to stay aligned throughout the transition
- You want to maintain service quality and consistency during a period of change
What You Can Expect
- Hands-on guidance throughout the dining transition process
- Support with RFP, RFI, and Market Basket administration
- Detailed contract reviews to support accurate billing and service expectations
- Coordination across teams to maintain continuity throughout the transition
Support Design Process & Program Development
Build a dining program around the people you serve, the way your operation works, and where you want to go next.
From early discovery through final design, we work alongside your team and design professionals to shape dining programs grounded in real operational needs. Through focus groups, concept development, financial modeling, and operational expertise, we validate ideas, define program requirements, and make sure the final design supports both the dining experience and your long-term goals.
Signs You May Need Program Development Support
- You're planning a new dining program or updating an existing one
- Consumer needs and expectations haven't been fully validated
- Dining space requirements need to be aligned with operational needs
- You want concepts that resonate with the people you serve
- Design decisions need operational and financial support
What You Can Expect
- Discovery and visioning to establish clear program goals
- Focus groups and concept validation informed by consumer needs
- Program design, staffing analysis, and labor optimization
- Financial modeling to support informed planning and decision-making
- Ongoing review and refinement so the final program meets operational and financial goals
Discover & Listen
Focus groups and stakeholder discussions reveal dining preferences, wellness, engagement, and safety needs.
Develop & Plan
We combine feedback, industry trends, operations, and financials into concepts, staffing models, and recommendations.
Collaborate & Design
We share findings with architects and foodservice designers so operational needs are built into the design.
Review & Refine
We review new and existing facilities and refine recommendations to support performance and financial goals.
Culinary & Hospitality Ongoing Support
Keep your dining program moving forward with practical insight and a partner invested in your long-term success.
Unlike a one-time project, ongoing support gives your team continued access to experienced guidance as your program, people, and priorities evolve. We review performance, identify opportunities, strengthen culinary and hospitality offerings, and use data to guide decisions and drive continuous improvement.
Every support plan begins with an on-site assessment to identify where your program needs support. From recipe development and adherence to plate presentation, sanitation, safety, and operational checklists, we focus on the areas that matter most. Support can also include staff training programs and role-specific handbooks to help your team maintain consistent standards. Your plan is built around your findings and priorities, giving you the right support without adding what you don't need.
What Ongoing Support Can Help With
- Operating report reviews and annual budget planning
- Data analytics and point-of-sale analytics
- Menu development and procurement optimization
- Benchmarking and resident feedback programs
- Culinary and hospitality training, including texture modified foods
- Technology solutions and program development
What You Can Expect
- A full operational review to establish priorities and opportunities
- A customized support plan built with your team
- Clear goals, measurable outcomes, and a defined path forward
- Implementation of the Hollyday Group Technology Dashboard
- On-site and/or remote support based on your program's needs
- Regular financial reviews and a process for continuous improvement
Dining Management Relationship Advocacy
Get the full value of your dining management partnership, with an experienced advocate in your corner.
If your dining program is run by a management company, we work on your behalf to make sure the partnership delivers what was promised. We review contracts, billing, and performance, hold your partner accountable to agreed standards, and help both sides communicate clearly so issues get resolved before they grow.
Signs You May Need an Advocate
- Service or quality has slipped below what your contract promises
- Invoices and billing are hard to reconcile
- Concerns raised with your partner go unresolved
- You lack the time or expertise to manage the relationship
- Your contract is up for renewal and you want leverage
What You Can Expect
- A detailed review of your management agreement and billing
- Regular performance reviews against contract standards
- An independent voice in meetings with your dining partner
- Clear recommendations and follow-through on open issues
- Preparation and guidance for contract renewals
Sous Vide & Cook/Chill Programs
Consistent quality, less labor strain, and more flexibility in how and when food is prepared.
Labor shortages, rising food costs, and inconsistent production can make it difficult to deliver quality dining across every meal and venue. Sous vide and cook/chill programs offer another way to plan, prepare, and serve food. The Hollyday Group helps you determine whether these methods fit your operation, then develops the production plan, procedures, and staff training needed to put them into practice safely and consistently.
Signs Your Operation Could Benefit
- Labor shortages make made-to-order production difficult to sustain
- Food quality varies between shifts, venues, or mealtimes
- One kitchen supports multiple dining venues or service locations
- Food waste and overproduction are increasing costs
- You want to expand menu variety without increasing kitchen labor
What You Can Expect
- An assessment of your operation and production needs
- Equipment, workflow, and production planning
- Recipe development and standardized procedures
- Food safety protocols and HACCP-aligned guidance
- Hands-on training and implementation support for your culinary team
A knowledgeable, responsive, and results-oriented hospitality partner.
It is my pleasure to recommend Shawn Kaley of The Hollyday Group for his outstanding work with Lasell Village’s current dining operations and expansion.
From the start of our partnership, Shawn has demonstrated professionalism, expertise, and a genuine commitment to enhancing the dining experience for our residents and team members. Shawn has taken the time to understand the unique needs of our community and is working with us to develop strategies to improve our operational efficiency and improve the quality of our current and future dining services.
Shawn possesses a thorough knowledge of hospitality/dining best practices and is up to date on all things new in the dining arena in senior living. We look forward to our continued partnership with Shawn as we improve our current dining operations and open our new dining venue.
I wholeheartedly recommend Shawn Kaley of the Hollyday Group to any organization seeking a knowledgeable, responsive, and results-oriented hospitality partner.
SVWC has partnered with the Hollyday Group for several years. They have been a great support for our dining program, providing a variety of resources from interim staffing to facilitating focus groups. We appreciate their partnership!
A great support for our dining program.
The expertise behind the results.
Shawn R. Kaley
Shawn is a seasoned professional with over 25 years in the hospitality and food service industries. A proud graduate of Johnson & Wales University, his expertise spans operations and efficiencies across hotels and resorts, exclusive country clubs, university dining operations, and senior living communities.
Mark Bryant
Mark Schroeder
Schelley Hollyday. Where it all began.
With over 30 years in the senior living industry with a focus on hospitality, Schelley has held senior leadership positions with two national senior services management companies. She has worked with over 300 senior living communities and is a recognized speaker, including LeadingAge and university lectures, and continues to conduct extensive research identifying best practices and hospitality trends.
The Half-Hearted Chef.
A whole life, built with half a heart.
“Rooted in faith and gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the gift of life, The Half-Hearted Chef Foundation serves and nourishes children with congenital heart defects. We honor the legacy of Dr. Myers and the memory of Valentine's Day 1989 by funding global cardiac care, proving that God can use a half-hearted start to build a whole life of purpose.”
The Half-Hearted Chef is a program of the Connect Foundation that supports children born with congenital heart defects and the families who walk beside them. Funds raised support the Congenital Heart Center at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey, where founder Shawn Kaley’s life was saved in 1989, and help families with costs like travel and lodging so no child has to face heart surgery alone.
A Personal Mission. A Life-Changing Difference.
Shawn Kaley knows what it means to live with a congenital heart defect. Growing up, he spent countless hours in hospitals, where he met children facing challenges far beyond his own.
On February 14, 1989, Shawn underwent the Fontan procedure at Hershey. That same day, a young boy from Colombia underwent the same surgery without his family beside him. They couldn't afford to travel. The boy didn't survive. Shawn did.
That experience never left him.
The Half-Hearted Chef was created in honor of that boy and the care Shawn received from Dr. John L. Myers. Today, the program helps children and their families overcome the financial barriers that can stand between them and lifesaving heart surgery.
The Half-Hearted Chef honors Dr. John L. Myers and the memory of a young boy who faced heart surgery alone on Valentine’s Day 1989. We raise funds to:
- Support pediatric cardiac care and outreach at Penn State Health’s Congenital Heart Center
- Help families with travel, lodging and other costs of getting their child to care
- Train the next generation of pediatric heart surgeons in Dr. Myers’ standard of care
Three simple steps to a stronger program.
Reach out
Send us an email or give us a call. We typically respond within one business day.
Talk through your goals
We'll learn about your community, your challenges, and what success looks like for you.
Get a clear path forward
We'll recommend the right level of support, from a focused assessment to a full program transformation.
Before you reach out.
Don't see your question here? Ask us directly. We're happy to talk it through.
Do you only work with senior living communities?+
Senior living is our focus, but our team's experience also spans university dining, hotels and resorts, country clubs, and corporate dining. That broad perspective is part of what we bring to every engagement.
Will you replace our dining team or management company?+
No. We work alongside your team as a partner. Our goal is to strengthen your people and processes so improvements last long after our engagement.
Can you help whether we're self-operated or outsourced?+
Yes. We support communities transitioning to or from an outsourced dining program, including RFP administration, contract reviews, and meal plan development.
Is support on-site or remote?+
Both. Assessments include an on-site visit, and ongoing support can be on-site, remote, or a mix based on your program's needs.
What if we only need help with one area?+
That's common. Whether you need a focused operational assessment or a full program transformation, we scale our support to fit your goals.
Your Dining Program Won't Fix Itself.
Let's get to work.
Staffing pressures, rising costs, compliance concerns, and resident dissatisfaction don't go away on their own. We help you identify what's not working, build a practical plan, and turn your dining operation into a stronger-performing program.
Let's talk about your dining program.
Thank you for reaching out!
A member of our team will be in touch shortly.