North Hill Retirement Community

North Hill is a premier life plan community in a high-income, well-established enclave southwest of Boston, MA. With renovation underway, NHRC tapped RealFood to achieve their vision of moving beyond the traditional senior living dining model to a restaurant-level destination.

How We Fit In

Initially engaged by the project architect, DiMella Schaffer, RealFood designed the foodservice stations for the renovated dining venue. Having worked with this group on various projects, it was easy to jump right in. Recognizing the need for a cohesive resident experience, North Hill then directly engaged our strategy team to build out the brand identity and operational framework for their new flagship second-floor venue.

Strategic Framework

RealFood acted as the creative and strategic engine for the envisioned hospitality experience. Handling everything from the restaurant name, its visual identity, logo and finite in-person touch points, we aimed to match the elevated architectural and interior design already underway. The goal was to create a cohesive experience that moved the needle from “retirement dining facility” to “high-end restaurant destination.”

Pencil to Paper

To fully transform the experience of North Hill’s flagship dining venue, RealFood worked with NHRC’s leadership team and resident committees to develop and execute strategies to entice current and aspiring residents to perceive the venue in a new light, including:

• Brand Creation: Developing a suitable name, visual identity and logo that positioned the venue as the centerpiece of the North Hill community
• Service Ecosystem: Ensuring the new concept harmonized with existing F&B offerings while setting a new standard for excellence
• In-experience Touchpoints: Guiding the selection of tabletop elements, OS&E, and uniforms to reinforce the brand’s “finer dining” DNA
• Operational Pacing: Implementing a reservation system to eliminate peak-hour congestion, allowing for a relaxed, unhurried service flow
• The Script: Developing a comprehensive Sequence of Service and corresponding training documents to empower the staff and managers
• Menu Design: Creating branded collateral designed for both aesthetic impact and streamlined execution

In the End

Summa Restaurant & Bar opened to glowing reviews from a discerning resident population. The new second-floor restaurant, complete with a new bar, offers a curated, full-service, upscale dining experience just steps away from resident housing. Summa’s staff hosts dinner nightly, brunch on Sundays, as well as events and special gatherings in the Speedwell Suite, Summa’s private dining room named after North Hill’s flower brand mark.