INDIANAPOLIS -- Community Hospital East is changing the way you think about hospital food, debuting a locally sourced menu with unique menu items at their new Bistro East Cafe.
The new cafe comes as the hospital undergoes a full re-model and doubles the size of their campus, a makeover that's expected to be done in February of 2019.
But the Bistro Cafe is up and running now, a way for the hospital to extend their outreach mission, partnering with local vendors and featuring a wide array of options.
"It's really a niche that really no one else is hitting on in the Indianapolis market as far as healthcare goes," Caroline Patrick, the director of food and nutrition at Community Hospital East, said. "We offer options that aren't your traditional typical cafeteria option."
Drink wise you can find Tinker Coffee Co. drip coffees and Nitro Cold Brew available.
The Tinker Coffee Co. team met up with Bistro East employees and did a tasting before coming up with the drinks that would be the best fit for the hospital cafeteria.
"It's really important for us to help train staff members, to make an exceptional product and I think Community was really interested in that and also, just the raw quality of the product was really helpful too. Its been a really great relationship, and the cafe looks amazing," Stephen Hall, a co-founder of Tinker Coffee Co., said.
Tinker Coffee and Circle City Kombucha will be permanent menu items at Bistro East but you can also expect to see different items rotating through, depending on the season and popularity.
Some examples include cheese and dairy products from Steckler Grassfed Farms and the small dairy farm at Paramount School of Excellence on the east side.
For employees and visitors leaving for the day or in need of a meal, they can eat at a desk or in a hospital room there's a selection of to-go meals.
The Bistro East menu and concept is unique to the Community Hospital East location and will stay that way if the hospital staff has anything to say about it.
"We're trying to break away and be something really individualized that Community North or South or the other facilities don't offer," Patrick said.
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