Holy Family Cafeteria Woos Diners To Hospital Food

When Holy Family Hospital was remodeling its cafeteria a few years ago, staffers installed a hook for Ray Gerlitz to hang his coat.

It was the least they could do for the 85-year-old North Side man who eats more meals at the hospital than in his own kitchen.

Though not a hospital employee or a patient, the retiree has eaten an average of two meals a day at Holy Family’s cafeteria since 1980.

He spends Christmas and Thanksgiving there and even takes family and guests to the cafeteria.

“On average I spend $3.25 for my meals,” he said last week over his steak and rice. “Where can you beat that? And you know it’s clean and good.”

On weekdays, about 5 percent of the cafeteria’s 600 meals are served to outside groups or individuals. Evenings and weekends, that number increases to 15 percent, employees estimate.

“Slowly but surely we’re seeing more and more seniors and outside residents,” said Mark Tibbetts, a Marriott Management Services employee who directs food and nutritional services at Holy Family.

Tibbetts, food service coordinator, David Strasser, chef, and Michelle Wade, cafeteria manager, like to think of the cafeteria as a restaurant or club.

The cafeteria staff members test their recipes with taste panels. They have beefed up training for their cooks and are quick to pull a dish that doesn’t sell or to change one not up to snuff.

They have enough recipes at the cafeteria to go six weeks without repeating a dish. Spokane, however, is still a meat and potatoes town.

“For the most part, they like what mom used to make,” said Tibbetts.”

Still, the cafeteria staff can try.

Specials this month have included a “pasta ala passion” and a chocolate dessert bar for Valentine’s Day, and a Chinese New Year’s Special on Wednesday. A french fry bar is planned for Wednesday.

February 8, Strasser featured a cajun sausage sandwich with peppers, onions, fries and a medium drink for $2.75.

“We like this place. We can eat what we want,” said Iona Person, 71, a Newport, Wash., woman finishing lunch in the cafeteria with her husband last week while on a Spokane shopping trip. “We’re nutritionally minded, and they have good coffee.”

Lou Goodno, who works near the hospital managing a medical building, eats at the cafeteria about three times a week.

“There are lots of places you eat in a hospital cafeteria and it’s bland, it’s yuck,” said Goodno. “This is top class as far as I’m concerned.”

Goodno and his son were eating chicken strips and french fries, a special for $2.10.

“I defy anyone to go out to Wendy’s and get a chicken strip and fries for two bucks,” he said.

Gerlitz said he won’t even go to other restaurants anymore.

“I’ve tried them,” he said, “but I always come back here.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo