CHARLOTTE, NC, Aug. 2, 2021 – Elior North America is excited to announce it has joined a strategic investment partnership in the financial backing of Culinesse, a boutique dining services management company designed to serve the fast-growing Life Plan Community (LPC) senior living market segment. This newly launched venture was created by a collaborative team of foodservice management industry veterans and will offer uniquely tailored, high-touch foodservice management to Life Planning Communities in key regional markets to build and nurture personal relationships with clients, residents and team members.

Through its subsidiary, Cura Hospitality, Elior North America is recognized for its food management services throughout the healthcare industry in various sectors such as acute care, behavioral health, Life Planning Communities (LPCs), and senior living communities. Elior’s investment relationship with Culinesse bolsters the companies’ respective commitments to support the advancement of exemplary guest hospitality and culinary innovation throughout the healthcare sectors they serve.

Market Opportunity

“We believe strongly in the mission of Culinesse, which is focused on personalized service, food and social impact that can best be executed by the highly customized and curated approach of a boutique hospitality brand,” said Olivier Poirot, president and CEO of Elior North America. “We’re proud to support the brand’s bold ambitions and unique offering within the rapidly growing Life Plan Community segment which directly complements our growing presence in the healthcare industry with Cura Hospitality.”

With the number of retiring baby boomers swiftly rising, the Life Plan Community industry is expected to see an annual growth rate of approximately 6% over the next 10 years, according to CBRE (CBRE: Market Insight Continuing Care Retirement Communities, June 2018). As LPCs grow, so will their need to provide differentiation through specialized guest service at the different levels of touch within the retirement community market. Through its relationship with Culinesse, Elior will enhance its LPC growth focus, especially for those clients desiring a high-end LPC experience.

Experienced Leadership

Culinesse will be led by Mitch Possinger and Lisa Schairer as co-founders and managing partners. Possinger founded Cura Hospitality in 1996, which was acquired by Elior in 2015. In the next few months, Schairer, who has led Cura Hospitality as managing director since 2018, will transition from her role at Cura and will join Possinger as co-founder and managing partner of Culinesse. In turn, Elior will announce its new Cura Hospitality managing director, who has been hand-selected for their foodservice management expertise in the healthcare industry sectors Cura specializes in serving and who will also serve on the Culinesse Board of Directors.

“Having been part of Elior for the past five years, I'm excited that they believe in our mission and vision for Culinesse and have decided to join us as an investment partner and in board leadership,” said Mitch Possinger, co-founder and managing partner of Culinesse. “Their investment and governance support will bring together the best of entrepreneurship and corporate experience to create an experience for retirement community clients, residents and team members that can't be matched by the large traditional providers."

In addition to Elior, Culinesse’s governance and leadership team, soon to be announced, is composed of other hospitality industry veterans, selected for their skills and diverse experience serving hospitality guests in a variety of settings (hotels, restaurants, catering, and foodservice management companies), to help Culinesse provide high-touch hospitality offerings at exclusive retirement communities.

Culinesse Brand

Culinesse will be a boutique, high-touch specialist provider of onsite restaurant and related hospitality services to the country's finest retirement communities that only a smaller, more agile and highly personalized company can provide to this unique and rapidly emerging market.

Social impact will be a cornerstone of the Culinesse brand, with an emphasis on responsible, sustainable sourcing; support and development of team members; guest service standards that focus on personal relationships; and strategies to meet the needs of the changing social environment of the U.S.

To learn more about Culinesse, LLC, visit www.culinesse-llc.com.

About Elior North America

Elior North America is a family of distinct hospitality companies with more than 50 years of industry experience and 15,000 team members united in our passion for food, service and excellence. We share an appetite for growth which drives all of us to continually reimagine our customers’ experience. The company is part of the European contract catering firm Elior Group.

Learn more at www.elior-na.com.

About Cura Hospitality

With a focus on culinary innovation and exemplary service, Cura is committed to making a positive difference in people’s lives every day. We offer healthy menu selections, heart-warming hospitality and food programs that improve overall health, deliver quality wholesome food, and most of all, emotional wellbeing.

Learn more at www.curahospitality.com.