Senior Nutrition Programs: 

Restaurant Program Toolkit

Prepared August 25, 2023

Contract Number: HHSP233201500039I / 75P00120F37027

Recommended citation: Nutrition and Aging Resource Center (2023). Senior 

Nutrition Programs: Restaurant Program Toolkit. Administration for 

Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

https://acl.gov/senior-nutrition.
2 

Background

This toolkit is based on key findings from a 2023 environmental scan of relevant literature

and a series of interviews with program leaders and financial managers from restaurant 

programs across the country, identifying the structures of their restaurant programs, key 

successes and challenges, and promising practices for implementation and sustainability. 

The views expressed are those of the interviewees and should not be attributed to HHS or 

ACL. State and local policies may vary; therefore, before initiating service changes, please 

review relevant requirements in your area.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the RTI International team for preparing this report. We would also like 

to thank the interviewees who contributed information reflected in this analysis. We 

gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of ACL staff.

This report was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) 

Administration for Community Living (ACL). The views expressed are those of the authors 

and should not be attributed to HHS or ACL. Funders do not determine research findings or 

the insights and opportunities of the authors.
3 

Table of Contents

What Is a Restaurant Program? ..........................................................................................................................................4

What Steps Are Needed to Create a Restaurant Program?...............................................................................6

Promising Practices ...................................................................................................................................................................18

CHAMPSS San Francisco .........................................................................................................................................................18

CHAMPSS Kansas ........................................................................................................................................................................19

Waterbury/Danbury Senior Dine.......................................................................................................................................20

Additional Resources ...............................................................................................................................................................22
4 

What Is a Restaurant Program? 

A restaurant program is a type of Senior Nutrition Program that supports older 

adults with meals prepared by a restaurant partner.

Background

Funded by Title III-C of the Older Americans Act (OAA), the National Senior Nutrition 

Program (SNP) has supported the nutrition, socialization, health, and well-being 

needs of older Americans (age 60+) since 1972. The SNP provides local homedelivered meals, congregate meals, and related services to promote healthy eating 

and support long-term nutritional health for older adults. 

The SNP addresses three intents: “(1) reduce hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition 

of older adults; (2) promote socialization of older individuals; and (3) promote the 

health and well-being of older adults by assisting them in gaining access to nutrition 

and other disease prevention and health promotion services to delay the onset on 

adverse health conditions resulting from poor nutritional health or sedentary 

behavior.”1 Although SNP services are available to all older adults, programming is 

designed to prioritize outreach to people with low incomes, members of racial and 

ethnic minority communities, rural-dwelling people, and individuals who speak 

languages other than English. In addition, the SNP supports older adults who wish to 

remain in their communities but whose health or social needs may mean they are at 

risk for facility placement. 

Restaurant programs build on the traditional congregate and home-delivered meal 

structure to offer restaurant-prepared meals to older adults in the restaurant dining 

room, via restaurant catering at a traditional congregate meal venue, through 

restaurant meal delivery, or through take-out meals. Local SNP providers partner with 

restaurants to serve older adults in their communities, typically offering one or more 

meals each week. Older adults in the community enroll in the program and have the 

opportunity to order restaurant-prepared food from a select menu that aligns with 

SNP nutrition guidelines. Depending on the interests of local older adults, restaurant

programs may offer breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and many provide diverse dishes or 

types of cuisine. 

1 Administration for Community Living. Nutrition Services. Accessed April 5, 2023. https://acl.gov/programs/healthwellness/nutrition-services
5 

Key Features

• Restaurant programs vary in their design and implementation, based on local 

community needs and interests. 

• Restaurant programs can provide a fresh alternative to traditional congregate 

meal sites, attracting a younger and more diverse population of older adults 

who wish to have more choice in their meals. 

• Participating older adults often have flexibility to choose where, when, and 

what they eat. 

• Partner restaurants may be located in areas, such as rural communities, that

are convenient for older adults to access. 

Restaurant Program Benefits

May 

provide 

more 

location 

options

Offer older 

adults 

choice in 

meals

May reach 

diverse 

older adults

Variation in 

restaurant 

model 

design
6 

What Steps Are Needed to Create a Restaurant Program? 

Establishing a restaurant program requires local SNP providers to undertake a few 

key steps. 

Step 1 – Identify community needs. 

Local SNP providers may consider how a restaurant program might meet the 

needs of older adults in their community. Questions to consider could include: 

o What interests does the local older community have that the SNP may 

be able to address? 

o What unmet needs may exist among local older adults? 

o Which populations could be better engaged in SNP meals? 

Providers may use surveys, focus groups, or 

informal conversations with existing SNPengaged older adults to learn more about 

their preferences and unmet needs to 

determine whether a restaurant program

might be the right fit for meeting those needs. 

Similar conversations with older adults who 

are not already participating in SNP activities 

would be helpful. Reviewing local community 

data from sources such as the American 

Community Survey (ACS) Special Tabulation 

on Aging and Disability could help identify the 

number of older adults and population subgroups of older adults in the 

community who might benefit from a restaurant program. 

ACTION ITEM

Talk to older adults in your 

community, such as volunteers, 

neighbors, or members of a 

faith community, to learn more 

about their interests, unmet 

needs, and perceptions of any 

populations that may not have 

been reached by SNP. Make a 

list of all the information you 

hear, organized by interests, 

needs, and specific 

populations.
7 

Step 2 – Establish priorities and objectives. 

With more knowledge of the local population of older adults and their needs, 

SNP providers can explore whether a restaurant program might be a good fit 

for their community. Questions to consider might include:

o How does/do my current congregate site(s) represent the diversity of

my community and SNP target populations (i.e., low-income, racial and 

ethnic minority, rural-dwelling, individuals who speak languages other 

than English, and individuals who are at risk for facility placement).

o How does/do my current congregate site(s) represent the number of 

older adults in my community who are 

food insecure?

o What could a restaurant program offer 

to local older adults? What priorities and 

objectives do we hope the program

meets for our community?

o What kinds of restaurants would be 

most appealing, particularly to the 

target population of older adults? 

o What restaurant locations are most 

accessible or convenient to older adults

we are trying to reach? 

o What public transportation options or

accessibility to other senior services

(e.g., proximity to senior housing) could 

facilitate attendance to partner

restaurants? 

o How long would we plan for the 

restaurant program to exist (e.g., an 

initial pilot of 6 or 12 months, with a longterm plan to make the program 

permanent if successful)?

Local SNP providers will need to determine what they would like out of a 

restaurant partnership. Aims of your restaurant program may include 

engaging a new audience of older adults, expanding the days or times when 

ACTION ITEM

With Steps 1 and 2 in mind, 

brainstorm all the pros and 

cons of adding a restaurant 

program. If you feel a 

restaurant program may be a 

good fit, you may wish to rank 

order your pros list and choose 

the top three to five as your 

priorities for developing a 

restaurant program. Think 

about how to phrase these 

priorities as actionable 

program objectives to make 

them realistic and associated 

with a deadline. For example, 

an objective to reach more 

older adults might be phrased 

as, “Within the first 6 months, 

we will serve meals to at least 

20 older adults who have never 

attended a congregate meal 

previously.” 
8 

meals are available, or reaching a neighborhood that currently has fewer SNP 

meal opportunities. Each SNP provider will have a distinct set of priorities and 

associated objectives, and each provider will want to structure their 

restaurant program in a way that meets their specific community needs. It 

may be useful to document key objectives and their relative importance at 

this stage to support internal decision-making and early conversations with 

prospective restaurant partners.

SNP providers also may wish to consider how a restaurant program fits into 

their broader program offerings, particularly in terms of cost. If some 

traditional congregate sites are not well attended, SNP providers might opt to 

reduce meal frequency at a traditional site to support a new restaurant 

program (e.g., pivoting from meals 5 days per week at a traditional site to 3 

days at the traditional site and 2 days at the restaurant). A restaurant 

program may require some additional time and resources to develop and 

launch at the outset, but over time, it may offer some cost savings. For 

example, a restaurant program may require fewer SNP labor hours than a 

traditional congregate meal site because the restaurant is responsible for 

purchasing and preparing food items, serving or packaging meals, 

maintaining health licensing, and cleaning the kitchen and dining areas—all 

tasks that would typically fall to the SNP provider to coordinate for a traditional 

congregate meal. 

Beyond adjusting the SNP budget to accommodate both traditional 

congregate meals and a restaurant program, SNPs may seek additional 

resources to fund their programming. Some SNPs have had success applying 

for other federal, state, or community grant funding to help support their 

restaurant programs. For example, some State Units on Aging have restaurant 

program grant opportunities. A restaurant program also may offer some 

additional in-kind support from the restaurant or community partners (e.g., inkind advertising). 

Step 3 – Identify Potential Partners. 

To establish a restaurant partnership, a local SNP provider may consider 

leveraging relationships they may have with community leaders, such as 

mayoral offices or chambers of commerce, or tapping into others in their 
9 

networks, such as senior volunteers. These resources may have insights about 

the local community to help identify prospective restaurants and make initial 

introductions between SNP providers and restaurant owners. SNP providers will 

want to engage with community leaders and others early to identify 

restaurant partners, allowing extra time if the SNP provider does not already 

have any existing restaurant relationships. Some programs meet with multiple 

restaurants before selecting the best partner(s) to achieve their specific 

program objectives, so it is important to allow sufficient time for this step

Restaurant partners can be standalone, franchise, or larger chain entities 

with a strong interest in supporting the local community. Questions to 

consider might include: 

o Which restaurant owners in the 

community does the SNP provider 

already know? If none, which

community partners, including

volunteers, board members, 

neighbors, or faith community 

members, could you call on to help 

identify restaurants and facilitate 

introductions?

o What level of commitment are you 

seeking from a restaurant partner

(e.g., serving meals, using SNPprovided equipment like restaurant 

program card readers), and what 

does that commitment look like (e.g., 

is the restaurant willing to work with 

the SNP to train waitstaff on the 

specifics of the program, such as 

ensuring that program participants 

only order from the program menu)? 

The potential partners that are selected also may be a factor in deciding how 

enrollment and participant tracking are managed. For example, programs will 

need to consider how they plan to enroll participants or accept meal 

reservations, how participation donations will be collected, and how meal 

ACTION ITEM

Think about the steps needed 

to achieve each of the three to 

five objectives you developed 

in the previous Action Item. 

Outline your ideal program 

design and structure at a high 

level based on these 

objectives. Then, make a 

responsibility list of needed 

steps to achieve this design. 

Map out which you feel are the 

responsibility of the SNP, which 

are for the restaurant, and 

which are shared. For example, 

serving meals might be a 

restaurant responsibility, and 

providing nutrition education 

might be an SNP responsibility. 

Use this high-level program 

structure and responsibility list 

to guide your first 

conversations with prospective 

restaurant partners.
10

participation at the restaurant will be documented. Some programs opt for a 

paper-based structure, with participants completing a registration form and 

receiving paper vouchers to provide to the restaurant staff. Other programs 

rely on electronic systems, such as participant program cards with unique QR 

codes that are scanned at the restaurant using an SNP-provided card reader 

device or tablet and app. 

Enrollment may be completed online or in person, and tracking participation 

may be done in a variety of ways. An SNP staff member might attend meals to 

document who participates, or the restaurant may document who is 

attending via collection of participant vouchers. For programs that use 

electronic systems, tracking meals and attendance can be enabled as part of 

the system, such that a participant card scan automatically documents when 

and where the participant has engaged in the restaurant program and which 

menu items have been selected. 
11

Step 4 – Select a restaurant partner. 

Following the initial conversation with 

prospective restaurant partners, SNP 

providers will want to visit the restaurant in

person one or more times. These visits 

should include an opportunity to 

understand the nuances of the facility, the 

operations, the existing menu structure, and 

the overall atmosphere. Questions to 

consider might include: 

o How is the restaurant staffed? Are 

there sufficient cooks, waitstaff, and 

hosts to support additional SNP older 

adult diners?

o What is the restaurant’s compliance

with needed accessibility features

and health safety inspections? How 

could the SNP support any needed 

improvements to align with 

congregate meal program objectives 

(e.g., helping with sanitation plans 

based on congregate meal site expertise)?

o How convenient is the restaurant location to public transportation 

routes, other points of interest, and residential areas where older adults 

may live?

o What types of cuisine does the existing menu offer? How do menu items 

align with SNP nutritional guidelines? 

o How popular is the restaurant? Do older adults and other community 

members seem to enjoy the food?

Choosing a restaurant partner should be similar to choosing any other 

outside vendor, and most SNP providers would have familiarity with that 

process. The primary difference is ensuring that the restaurant understands 

and can share in achieving the objectives of the specific SNP provider 

restaurant program. For example, SNP providers that plan to track meal 

participation electronically will need restaurant partners with capacity to 

ACTION ITEM

Visit a potential restaurant 

partner during a prime 

mealtime, such as lunch or 

dinner, and eat a meal as a 

regular dining patron. Take the 

responsibility list you created in 

the Step 3 Action Item and note 

any changes you might want 

to make to the list based on 

what you observe in the 

restaurant. For example, 

perhaps you thought the SNP 

staff would be best suited to 

take participant reservations, 

but upon seeing the 

restaurant’s host desk, you 

realize the welcoming 

restaurant host might be ideal 

to document attendance when 

participants arrive. Update your 

responsibility list, and if 

needed, your high-level 

program design, after you 

complete your restaurant visit.
12

accept the needed equipment (e.g., a tablet and app) and associated staff 

training. It will also be important to discuss the SNP vision for reimbursing the 

restaurant partner for meal costs, and the expectations for restaurant staff, 

both their role in preparing and distributing meals and their anticipated 

compensation. Some restaurant programs include a tip for waitstaff in the 

meal reimbursement rate to the restaurant, and other programs ask program 

participants to tip when they receive their meal. 

Importantly, SNP providers may want to start small and choose the 

restaurant that is the best fit for their envisioned program design and 

objectives. The partnership should benefit the SNP, the restaurant, and the 

participants, so prioritizing a restaurant partner whose mission aligns to the 

SNP objectives is key. This step may take a period of several months, but that is 

time well spent. To facilitate restaurant selection, the SNP provider will want a 

detailed document that describes the objectives of the planned program, 

roles of the SNP provider, and expectations for restaurant partners to support 

these early conversations with potential restaurant partners and facilitate 

selection of the best possible partner.

Step 5 – Establish an agreement. 

To engage formally with a restaurant partner, the SNP provider will need a 

written document that outlines the activities for which the restaurant and SNP 

are responsible. Two of the biggest requirements in this plan will be (1) 

offering a menu that aligns with SNP nutrition guidelines and (2) adopting a 

meal cost that is acceptable to both the restaurant and the SNP provider.

Typically, SNP provider staff or partners, such as a Registered Dietitian, work 

with restaurant partners to identify combinations of entrées, side dishes, and 

beverages that align with SNP nutrition guidelines and are all reimbursed by 

the SNP at the same rate per SNP participant. Portions for SNP meals may be 

smaller than what is typical for the standard restaurant menu, which may 

present an opportunity for restaurants to reduce some expenses. Additional 

items also may be added to the restaurant program menu to align with SNP 

guidelines, such as offering milk or a side salad. 

Many restaurant programs suggest a participant contribution rate that ranges 

from $3 to $7 and actual meal costs (i.e., restaurant billing) that range from $5 
13

to $12 per meal; variation is attributable to geographical cost of living 

differences. The SNP and restaurant should agree on the total number and 

types of meals (e.g., breakfast, lunch, or dinner) to be served within a given 

period (e.g., week or month). 

Additionally, the agreement will need to define the planned timeline for 

implementing the program, including when SNP restaurant meal service will 

begin, how many months or years it will last 

before the agreement is renewed, and under 

what terms. Terms should include measures of 

success and sustainability that align with the 

program objectives. For example, your 

agreement might describe how many people 

will be served in a designated time period; if 

that goal is met, there might be a new 

objective (e.g., serving expanding menu 

offerings or adjusting menu items based on 

ordering frequency). Likewise, if that objective is 

not met, the agreement terms can specify next 

steps (e.g., evaluating whether the objective 

was realistic, such as not allowing enough time

to achieve it). Discuss these objectives with the 

restaurant partner to be sure there is shared 

understanding. 

After determining these key details, SNP 

providers can modify an existing vendor 

agreement template for the purpose of 

engaging a restaurant partner, although some

SNP providers may be required to release a 

formal request for proposals (RFP) via their

organization’s procurement processes. In either case, the agreement or RFP 

needs to detail the overall program structure and expected roles of both SNPs 

and restaurants. However, for an agreement (i.e., offering a grant or contract 

to a specific restaurant partner), SNP providers may communicate regularly 

with the chosen restaurant and work together to finalize the agreement. For 

RFPs, the initial restaurant conversations are still critical to helping the SNP 

ACTION ITEM

Review your program design 

and objectives again and 

make any needed tweaks to 

the structure you envision. Use 

the program design, objectives, 

and the responsibility list you 

updated in Step 4 as the basis 

for developing an agreement 

with the restaurant partner. The 

agreement will clearly describe 

the structure of the program 

(e.g., meal frequency, 

reimbursement, use of paper 

vouchers or an electronic 

system) and which 

components are the 

responsibility of the restaurant 

partner, which are the SNP’s 

domain, and which are shared 

between the restaurant and 

SNP. The agreement also will 

note the program objectives 

and what happens if they are 

or are not achieved within a 

stated time period.
14

finalize their overall program design and objectives. Often, once the RFP is

released, direct conversations between the SNP provider and any single 

restaurant would likely be paused, based on local procurement rules. 

Questions to consider in developing an agreement might include the 

following: 

o How will the restaurant program advertise or recruit older adults? What 

is expected, if anything, from the restaurant partner regarding 

advertising and recruiting (e.g., posting a flyer about the program on 

the menu or in the dining room)? 

o How often will the menu be reviewed or revised? How will menu 

changes be addressed in the agreement? 

o What is expected of the restaurant in terms of meal numbers, meal 

types that will be reimbursed, staffing, or other operations like 

reporting? 

o What procedures will the restaurant undertake to document meal use 

(e.g., electronic, paper voucher)? How will these be supported (e.g., 

training, equipment) and maintained over time?

o What reimbursement rate does the restaurant seek per SNP meal? How 

much does the SNP provider anticipate in older adult contributions,

versus the total reimbursement cost the SNP provider will need to 

cover? How will restaurant reimbursement requests be submitted and 

paid? How are waitstaff compensated for service (i.e., tipping)?

o What agreement duration is anticipated, and what are the extension or 

severance (i.e., agreement end) procedures? 

o What program objectives have you noted in the agreement, and what 

are the terms of those objectives? What happens if they are achieved or 

not achieved?

This step is arguably the most detailed, as it requires focusing on the specifics 

of the program, specifying the partnership details, and establishing 

agreement terms. Agreement components, including advertising, enrolling 

participants, tracking participation, and covering costs, mirror existing 

congregate and home-delivered meal processes. 
15

Step 6 – Implement and evaluate the program. 

Implementation

Once a restaurant agreement is in place with a finalized menu and plan for 

implementing the program, the SNP can 

begin recruiting participants. Advertising may 

include local flyers, advertisements via 

partners (e.g., senior center bulletins), or other 

formal advertising, such as radio or television. 

In addition to paid radio and television ads, 

contacting a local news outlet to announce 

the new program may present an opportunity 

for them to interview the SNP and share the 

story as a local interest piece on the news (i.e., 

free advertising!). 

Another key component at this stage is 

determining how to support older adults’ 

socialization and nutrition education needs 

while receiving restaurant meals. These goals may be achieved through 

similar methods as are used in traditional congregate meal settings, such as 

coordinating specific times for SNP provider staff to host events or activities at 

the restaurant or offering printed or electronic education resources to SNP

restaurant patrons.

Evaluation

SNP providers will need a process for 

evaluating their restaurant programming, 

meaning they are ensuring that the 

restaurant program aligns with the 

restaurant agreement, SNP-determined 

program objectives, and overarching 

OAA intents. Much of this step will align 

with the program objectives that you built 

into your agreement in Step 5. Questions 

to consider might include the following: 

ACTION ITEM

Review your agreement 

obligations as an SNP, including 

the restaurant reimbursement 

rate and frequency. Review 

your existing funding and how 

you plan to cover restaurant 

costs, and use this information 

to help decide how to advertise 

and enroll participants. For 

example, depending on the 

number of meals you plan to 

serve, you may want to target 

only nearby communities for 

program advertising.

ACTION ITEM

Determine which SNP staff will be 

responsible for tracking progress on 

program objectives. Communicate 

that role at the beginning, along with 

guidance about how often they 

should be checking progress (e.g., 

weekly, monthly, or quarterly). Work 

together to determine how progress 

will be shared with the SNP team, and 

when appropriate, the restaurant 

partners. 
16

o How does the SNP define restaurant program success? What 

measurable milestones are documented to track progress in meeting 

overall objectives? How often are we reassessing alignment with our 

program objectives? 

o How are we addressing participant questions and concerns? 

o How are we addressing any restaurant concerns? 

o How does the restaurant program exist alongside traditional 

congregate meal sites, home-delivered meals, or other SNP 

programming? 

o How successful are we in meeting diverse needs (e.g., availability of 

bilingual menus or staff), reducing food insecurity, or otherwise aligning 

with SNP intents?

o How are we achieving our longer-term objectives and plans for

sustainability?

As the SNP provider reviews their program progress over time, it will be 

important to keep good documentation of successes and challenges that 

arise throughout the process. 
17

Experienced restaurant programs have shared that SNPs and restaurant 

partners should be in regular communication, at least quarterly, throughout 

the life of the agreement period. This communication will help the SNP to 

share progress on meeting program objectives, and it will allow the restaurant 

to share any positive feedback or potential concerns. This continuous

communication with restaurant partners and participants is key to the

success of a restaurant program. Gathering 

regular participant feedback also is important 

to ensuring that the SNP is aligned with the 

overarching goals to support nutrition, 

socialization, and education. Both restaurant 

and participant communication are integral 

to sustaining a successful program over time. 

ACTION ITEM

Plan quarterly restaurant 

check-ins, ideally in person, to 

obtain restaurant feedback on 

the program, share successes, 

and address any potential 

challenges. 
18

Promising Practices

The following pages highlight restaurant programs across the United States, noting 

promising practices and lessons learned through implementation of these 

programs. The programs highlighted include: CHAMPSS San Francisco, CHAMPSS 

Kansas, and Waterbury/Danbury Senior Dine. 

CHAMPSS San Francisco 

Description 

The Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan Solutions for Seniors 

(CHAMPSS) program partners with three local restaurants to serve 

meals to olders adults age 60+ and their partners in San Francisco. Older adults are 

offered up to five meals per week, and the suggested contribution is $5 per meal. The

program serves about 6,000 meals per month.

Meeting Diverse Needs 

The CHAMPSS program intentionally chose restaurant partners to meet the cultural 

and linguistic needs of the Chinese older adults in their service area. Their most 

popular restaurant partner is a Chinese restaurant, and their other restaurant 

partners serve Asian fusion and Hong Kong–style foods. Self-Help for the Elderly, the 

organization that supports the CHAMPSS program, directly invited the restaurants to 

participate. Their organizational leadership includes a respected community leader 

who was able to encourage restaurant participation based on the shared value of 

supporting older adults. 

Restaurant partners offer culturally relevant meals through a set menu that meets 

the SNP nutrition guidelines. Written nutrition education materials are offered in 

English, Traditional Chinese, and sometimes Spanish.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

• CHAMPSS reported that it is sometimes a challenge to balance the cultural

relevancy of the meals with the SNP dietary requirements. For example, 

CHAMPSS worked with the restaurants to add milk as an optional beverage to 

align with the SNP requirements.

• Many of the CHAMPSS staff are bilingual, which enables both English and 

Chinese communication with the restaurant partners and many of the 
19

participating older adults. However, the program has been unsuccessful in 

identifying a bilingual Registered Dietitian to review menus and work with the 

restaurant partners, which would be optimal. However, their existing 

Registered Dietitian is able to work with a translator to ensure that nutrition 

guidelines are being followed. 

• The program began with one restaurant and has expanded to include other 

restaurant partners. One of the primary considerations when adding new 

restaurants is location, both to reach older adults in neighborhoods that may 

be underserved and walkability or accessibility to transportation. 

More information is available at CHAMPSS San Francisco , including sample menus, 

participant applications, and bilingual materials.

CHAMPSS Kansas 

Description

The CHAMPSS program serves meals to adults age 60 or older in 

various counties across Kansas. Older adults can receive up to one 

meal per day, 7 days a week at these locations, and the suggested contribution is $5 

per meal. 

Broad Reach With Major Chains

The CHAMPSS program in Johnston County partners with two major chains: the local 

Hy-Vee supermarket and IHOP. The partnerships began as a pilot program that 

generated considerable interest and participation among older adults. As a result of 

the pilot’s success, these partnerships are now ongoing. 

The SNP provider works with the State Unit on Aging’s Dietitian to ensure that menu 

options comply with SNP nutrition guidelines. Older adults get their meals through an 

electronic card scanning system, which tracks meals and makes data accessible to 

both program staff and restaurant partner site managers. At the participating HyVee, participants get their cards scanned at the hot kitchen counter, and from there 

they can choose from a variety of prepared food stations from which to eat, such as 

the deli counter, pizza kitchen, or salad bar. 

CHAMPSS staff describe participants as particularly happy with having IHOP as an 

option. They noted that IHOP has been able to offer a variety of protein, vegetable, 
20

and healthy side options that older adults enjoy. Participants also reportedly 

encourage friends to sign up to be able to go to IHOP together and socialize. Through 

these partnerships, the program has also been able to provide meals to a few 

unhoused older adults who indicated they would not have eaten on a given day, 

absent the program. 

Challenges and Lessons Learned

One of the biggest lessons learned is the need for preparation before reaching out to 

potential partners. These preparations include: 

• Identifying the areas with the largest populations of older adults 

• Researching menus and nutrition information to narrow options

• Reviewing potential funding limitations

• Having written resources ready to share with potential partners for initial and 

ongoing implementation 

These preparations were said to be essential for defining the program to better 

explain it when recruiting potential restaurant partners.

More information is available at CHAMPSS Kansas , including a detailed program 

explanation and participant videos describing enrollment, plus sample Hy-Vee and 

IHOP menus. 

Waterbury/Danbury Senior Dine 

Description

Senior Dine serves the Waterbury and Danbury areas of Connecticut. 

The program was developed by New Opportunities Incorporated, and 

it has been in existence for about 20 years. Anyone 60 and older is eligible to 

participate in the program, and the suggested donation is $3 to $5 per meal, with 

one meal per day, either breakfast or lunch. Eleven restaurant partners serve older 

adults across 12 communities in the service area. 

Utilizing Electronics for Check-In and Education

Although the program began with paper vouchers, it is now fully electronic, with 

participants using “Senior Dine” cards to scan for their meals. The meal cards have a 

QR code, which the participating restaurant waitstaff scan using a Senior Dine–
21

provided tablet and app. The electronic reports enable Senior Dine to track 

participation information to see which participants are most engaged and which 

restaurants are receiving the most traffic from the program. This helps the program 

coordinators to understand the kinds of participants who frequent each restaurant 

and where additional outreach may be needed to increase participation.

In compliance with the national SNP goals, restaurant programs are also responsible 

for providing nutrition education to participants. Currently, Senior Dine has

educational pamphlets available at the restaurants; however, they are working to 

switch to an electronic platform. The goal is to have participants scan the QR codes 

on their Senior Dine cards and have the app send them to a site containing nutrition 

education materials that will be updated regularly. 

Challenges and Lessons Learned

• Senior Dine staff noted that restaurants need to have a rooted focus on 

serving their community. Restaurants that are not interested in supporting 

local seniors are unlikely to be sustainable as long-term restaurant program

partners and committed to engaging with things like the Senior Dine cards, 

tablets, and app.

• The app can provide robust information about participants and engagement,

including when and where specific participants participate, what meals or 

food items they select, and how often they consume SNP restaurant meals. 

This information allows the SNP to track engagement, identify which 

restaurants or food types are most popular, and identify high–SNP traffic times 

and locations to target for outreach and education, if needed (e.g., if several 

SNP participants frequent the same restaurant at the same day and time).

• Staff underscored the importance of continuous evaluation through data 

collection. Being able to track which restaurants receive the most diners, and 

which diners participate most, enables broader senior service outreach and 

better support of restaurant partners.

More information is available at Waterbury/Danbury Senior Dine , including a 

description of the process for obtaining an electronic participant card.
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Additional Resources

The following links provide additional details about existing restaurant programs, key 

considerations, and successful examples of resource documents, such as sample 

restaurant program menus.

Quick Resources

• 20 Years & Counting: Connecticut Senior Dine Program’s Flexibility and

Choice – Restaurant partnership can use technology to provide more flexibility 

and choices for seniors. 

• Go and Dine – New York café helps older adults stay well by utilizing take-out 

meals with nutrition program restaurant vouchers.

• The Diner – A social entrepreneurship approach to restaurant meals in 

Vancouver, Washington.

Full Length Guides

• Capstone Project Summary – An overview of the Albany County Department 

for Aging and the Erie County Department of Senior Services project, which 

was a 2018 ACL Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services Grantee. The 

summary includes the project’s outcomes and lessons learned as well as

sample materials like agreements and surveys.

• Guide to Working with Restaurants and Grocery Stores for Meals – Guidance in 

partnering with food retailers to maintain competitiveness, provide highquality meals, and offer increased meal choice.

Fact Sheets

• Quick Guide to Working with Restaurants and Grocery Stores – Five-step 

infographic for working with restaurants and grocery stores.

• What's on the Menu? – Iowa’s restaurant partnership program and how they 

are meeting the social determinants of health.

Presentations

• Dietary Guidelines and Dietary Reference Intakes Network Discussion – Ryan 

Gadzo, Research Analyst, Erie County Department of Senior Services, New York, 

joins a panel discussion and shares how to work easily with restaurants to 

ensure that meals meet state, Area Agency on Aging, and federal nutrition 

standards.

• Mapping Your Partnership Assets – Meals of Love restaurant partnership in 

Florida provides background information, impact on the community, 
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considerations, and how they embraced challenges while finding innovative 

solutions. (slides only)

• Senior Dine – Meeting the Meal Needs of Seniors – Video about 

Connecticut’s restaurant partnership and impact. This program uses swipe 

cards to better track meal counts. 

• Senior Lunch Bunch: A New Model for Group Dining – Restaurant partnership 

in South Carolina provides information on the group dining model, menu 

ideas, and sustainability considerations. (slides only)

Replication Materials

• Bistro60 Program brochure – An example of a pamphlet advertising a 

restaurant program.

• Customer Satisfaction Survey – Go & Dine Survey on the impact of the 

program on participants.

• Diners Guide – Go & Dine guidelines, participating restaurants, and menus.

• Focus Group Questions – Go & Dine survey of participant experiences.

• Iowa Cafe Guide for Partners – Resource for prospective restaurant partners to 

understand their role in a restaurant program.

• Isolation Survey – Go & Dine screening tool to identify participant feelings of 

isolation. The survey uses the UCLA Loneliness Scale. For further information: 

UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure

links to a published article on the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

• Kansas CHAMPSS Menu – Example menu used with a restaurant partner.

• Montgomery County MD Restaurant Solicitation – Montgomery County’s 

Restaurant Program solicitation for restaurant partners. 

• New Opportunities, Inc. Restaurant Agreement – Example agreement between 

an SNP and a restaurant partner.

• Vendor Contract Sample – Go & Dine sample agreement between grantee 

and partner restaurant. 

• Vendor Contract Terms and Conditions Sample – Go & Dine sample 

statement of services for partner restaurant.

• Waupaca Restaurant Program Pitch Summary – Example of a restaurant 

program advertisement.