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Evaluating Food Service Approaches for 

Senior Nutrition Programs

There are multiple approaches local service providers (LSP) can take regarding food 

service — self-operation, contracting with a caterer, using a food service 

management company (FSMC), or some combination of the three. This tip sheet is 

designed to help LSPs evaluate the various approaches and make an informed 

decision — one that improves their ability to manage market and labor fluctuations, 

sudden service disruptions, and projected service demands.

Types of Food Service Approaches 

Self-Operated

With this approach, LSP staff manage all food service activities such as licenses, 

inspections, policies, menus, recipes, product specifications, purchasing, hiring, and 

training of kitchen staff. Kitchen facilities may be owned, donated, or rented by the 

LSP. 

LSPs with kitchen facilities, even limited ones, may decide to make part of the foods 

or meals in-house as a start to self-operations, to increase variety and freshness, to 

increase donations and revenue, or to increase quality. Decisions on what might be 

made can be guided by state and local food safety requirements, product demand, 

procurement requirements, available equipment, nutrition standards, and staff skills. 

Brainstorm what the LSP can do safely and economically. Examples of ways to 

experiment with self-operated food service before making a major shift in operations 

include, but are not limited to:

• Expand choice by preparing an item or group of items the center has the 

equipment and staff skills to prepare. Consider freshly steamed vegetables 

(from frozen), tossed or spinach salads, or freshly baked rolls from frozen 

dough. Consider offering this once per week to start.
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• Plan and prepare one meal per month in LSP facilities by LSP staff. 

• Ask the caterer to deliver a meal chilled before it is cooked and cook the food 

fresh on site.

• Add breakfast offerings with overnight oats, boiled eggs, or yogurt parfaits.

• Invite a guest chef to prepare a culturally focused meal in the facility on a 

quarterly basis.

Catering Contracts

With this approach, the LSP contracts to purchase meals, beverages, and 

condiments from a caterer. Non-food supplies such as paper products, plates, and 

utensils may be included in the contract or purchased separately by the LSP. 

Caterers may be located off-site or may use LSP kitchen facilities. The chart below 

includes restaurants contracted to cater meals.

Restaurants serve as caterers when delivering prepared foods to meal sites. A

restaurant partnership may include meals provided at the restaurant, food trucks, 

café models, carry-out, or “grab-n-go”. For more information, see the Nutrition and 

Aging Resource Center Restaurant Partnerships webpage.

FSMC

FSMCs are national or regional companies contracted to operate all aspects of food

service in locations such as hospitals, schools, colleges, and senior dining programs. 

FSMCs generally use LSP facilities and provide menu and management expertise, 

policies, procedures, forms, and human resource management. Each company may 

have additional pros and cons to consider. In addition to reviewing the chart below, 

review Contracting Tips for Purchasing Meals, which outlines the recommended 

process for sourcing meals to help you better assess the options.

Program Evaluation on Meal Cost

The 2015 Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program Evaluation Cost Study Report

(2015 Cost Study) showed that using more than one food service approach is 

common. Nearly half (47%) of congregate programs and 32% of home-delivered 

programs reported using multiple approaches for meals. The 2015 Cost Study also 

showed that LSPs that obtain at least some meals from a central kitchen had the 

lowest total paid cost per meal. Meal vendors and restaurant programs may help 

control costs by leveraging volume and reducing the need for food service labor 

costs, but may increase LSP central administration costs related to contract 

administration. Knowing the total cost per meal for each approach aids in selecting 

the right mix of high quality and cost-effective food service approaches. For more 
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information on calculating meal cost, see the resource Identifying the Total Cost of a 

Meal. 

Comparison of Features 

(Y=yes; N=no) 

Feature SelfOperated

Catering 

Contracts

FSMC 

Control of meal quality before service 

(such as the degree of doneness, freshness 

of food, seasoning level, food consistency, 

time of arrival, or correct temperatures)

Y Y (on-site

only) 

Y (on-site

only)

Control of service decisions (such as 

changing the menu, changing a food item, 

changing the delivery time, or serving a 

different or additional meal) 

Y 

Depends on 

contract

Depends on 

contract

Control of food sources (such as use of 

local foods, food donations, gleaning) Y Depends on 

contract

N 

Group purchasing organizations or 

collaborations (to leverage purchasing 

power and control food cost) 

Y Y Y

Independence (nimbleness during business 

disruptions to adjust service delivery, adapt 

to supply chain issues, limit impact of 

contract cost changes or sudden closings, 

and hold firm to the mission and values of the 

LSP)

Y N N 

Limited LSP facility size (such as limited 

kitchen space, storage space, and ability to 

increase physical footprint) 

N Y N 

Streamline LSP operations (such as food

service management, maintenance, and 

accounting) 

N Y Y 

Meal cost (known to vary by program, 

program size, and geographic region) 

Based on 

market price 

& ability to 

adjust menu

Predictable if 

based on 

fixed unit 

cost

Predictable 

if based on 

fixed unit 

cost
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Feature SelfOperated

Catering 

Contracts

FSMC 

Menu development 

Can 

purchase or 

self-develop

Variable Part of 

service

Pricing transparency (such as cost of 

ingredients, non-food supplies, labor, fixed 

and variable costs)

Y N N

Simplified procurement compliance 

(related to federal, state, and local 

requirements)

N Y Y 

Additional Factors to Consider 

There are many factors that LSPs should consider. They must decide which factors 

are most important and what options may best meet their needs. The additional 

information below is to help LSPs self-reflect to determine their best options. 

Facility and Menu Considerations 

This section applies to self-operated but may also apply to FSMC and catering 

contracts if the contractor will use an LSP kitchen. 

1. What is the timeline and scope of any proposed change?

2. Do kitchen facilities need to be renovated, built, purchased, provided as inkind, or leased?

3. How are the number and volume of congregate and home-delivered meals 

and sites projected to change in the next five to 10 years? 

4. Are changes in congregate meal site locations needed due to demographic 

changes or population shifts?

5. How are the types of meals offered projected to change in the next five to 10

years? Will current facilities and equipment be sufficient?

6. Is the need for culturally specific meals in the community met?

7. What are the local health and safety requirements related to food service 

licensing, inspections, staff, policies, and procedures? 

8. Can some meals or some foods be made at any meal site in the region?

9. Does the state unit on aging require nutrient analysis, or are meal patterns 

allowed? 
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10. What is the program’s back-up plan in case a meal provider is suddenly 

unavailable, or the program or area experiences a disaster?

Funding and Partnership Considerations

1. Is the LSP able to engage in public-private partnerships to fund kitchen 

facilities?

2. Are the local and state governments supportive of funding a kitchen project 

for the LSP?

3. Is there an established meal reimbursement rate or other requirements 

regarding how state and local funds can be used to support meals or kitchen 

facilities?

4. Do grant opportunities exist to fund meals or a kitchen?

5. Will the program provide multiple options for meals for clients to select? Will 

the program offer evening, breakfast, or weekend meals?

6. What is the anticipated change in cost using your existing vendor(s)?

7. To consider self-operating, what are the cost estimates for staffing and a 

kitchen compared to using an FSMC or catering contract?

8. Which organization – the LSP or the vendor – will have a registered dietitian

nutritionist to approve the menus?

9. In what other ways might a kitchen serve the community, bring in additional 

revenue, or support important partnerships?

o After school, child, and adult care or disability programs

o Nutrition education and cooking programs 

o Retail catering services

o Banquet space

o Culinary training and workforce development

o LSP fundraisers 

o Local jobs

o Public kitchen rental for events

Vendor Considerations

These apply to FSMC and catering contracts.

1. Is the service of the current meal provider satisfactory according to quality 

evaluations and contract compliance?

2. Would a larger field of businesses bidding to provide services improve food 

quality, expand participant choice, or increase donations?

3. Is there a way to increase meal volume, such as creating a consortium, to 

attract more bidders?
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4. Is the current contracted meal provider using equipment purchased with OAA

Title III-C funds?

5. Are there local restaurants with potential to serve as a congregate meal site 

or caterer?

6. If sharing kitchen space, how will inventory and supplies be tracked by the 

program?

7. If caterers or FSMC staff interact with LSP clients, do their training and 

background checks align with the agency’s requirements?

Request for Proposal (RFP) Considerations

These considerations apply to FSMC and catering contracts.

1. Do proposals include clear responsibilities and include monetary 

consequences for the vendor if food provided is spoiled, does not meet quality 

or nutritional content standards, or does not arrive on time?

2. Do proposals state the amount of time meals spend in transit to each delivery 

point and/or have a minimum/maximum temperature at arrival?

3. Do proposals outline communication expectations related to production 

requests, such as meal count changes or other notifications?

4. Do proposals include the roles, responsibilities, background checks, and 

required training related to client contact?

5. Do proposals include required menu meetings, types of menus needed, 

special events, and incorporation of client feedback in menu development?

6. Do proposals include performance measures with the frequency (daily, 

weekly, monthly, or quarterly), the timeline for corrective action, and how the 

measures are evaluated?

7. Do proposals address contract renewal timelines and clearly outline the 

process and basis for vendor price change requests? If volume-based pricing 

is used, include thresholds for renegotiation based on pricing.

Resources

Below are select resources that may be helpful to LSPs exploring options. Find 

additional resources on the Nutrition and Aging Resource Center website, which is 

updated frequently. 

• Options for Contracting Meals — How to choose the right meal provider for 

your program

• Contracting Tips for Purchasing Meals/Food — Outlines the recommended 

process for sourcing meals
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• Purchasing Foodservice Software Guide — Considerations and a comparison 

of software

• Introduction to Food Production and Service— Penn State textbook with a 

section on menus and recipes

• Maximizing Use of Commercial Kitchens for Senior Nutrition Programs — 

Opportunities and challenges

• Restaurant Partnerships – Resource Center webpage with multiple resources 

for partnering with restaurants

• Cost Study Report – Part 2 of the 2015 Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs 

Evaluation 

• Proposal to Hire a Kitchen Manager – Proposal example from MSAC Feast 

Meals, a local service provider

Last updated: Apr. 2023