At Oak Park, the staff digs in at 3 p.m. Sometimes their family meals even include biological family.
Writer: Karla Walsh
Photos: Duane Tinkey
Before the first seating at some of Central Iowa’s most beloved restaurants, the staff break bread together at the daily “family meal.”
Some teams include actual family members, but most share bonds forged by the pressure of rapid-fire tickets in the middle of a bustling service. The meal is a moment of calm before the storm. It fosters a sense of teamwork, reduces food waste, boosts energy before each shift, sparks creativity and gives staffers at all levels a chance to shine.
“Family meal was the first program I implemented when I took over the Hotel Fort Des Moines culinary program in 2022,” said James Richards, the executive chef at Proudfoot & Bird. “Screw changing the menu. First we need to feed our staff!”
Richards wasn’t talking about just the restaurant staff. For the past two years, the entire hotel staff — housekeepers, receptionists, valets and many others — have been invited to family meal. It’s served at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. seven days a week, and about three dozen employees usually show up for each pre-shift meal.
It started humbly with grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, but it has evolved. “We challenge ourselves to create a healthy, nutritious and delicious meal with little to nothing in the cooler or on the shelves,” Richards said. “I wanted to build a culture of taking care of one another, and sharing food is the best way to do that.”
Besides, that culture benefits from a bit of friendly competition. Richards said that sous chef Chris Hollinger holds the hotel’s “undisputed heavyweight championship title for King of Family Meal.”
At Oak Park, the staff has been sharing family meal since opening day in October 2023. The tradition was a “must” even before the sweet-and-savory duo of Jess and Ian Robertson signed on to lead the kitchen. The daily staff of about 30 knows they’re invited to the table at 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Vegan and vegetarian options are always available, and biological family members are welcome, too. The Robertsons’ kids join in sometimes, along with others.
“During school months, as a working parent who has to take time mid-shift to pick up kiddos, I have the pleasure of bringing my two kids to eat with everyone. They look forward to it every week,” pastry cook Jackie Servellon said. “Seeing everyone at work, from servers to kitchen staff to leadership, take the time to welcome my kids to the table truly showed me how much of a dream team we are in so many ways.”
Servellon regularly teams up with prep cook Shae Cleveland and other chef managers to prepare Oak Park’s pre-shift menu. So far, their greatest hits include unique twists on focaccia and orange chicken with rice and vegetables.
Across town at Prime & Providence, chef-owner Dominic Iannarelli noted that family meal favorites include upgrades on hand-held delights like pizza, wings, sliders, burritos and quesadillas, often made with the top-notch trim from prime proteins. That often means chicken wings from Bell & Evans organic birds and steak tips from New York strips.
The Prime & Providence family meal starts at 2:30 p.m. usually on weekdays and always on weekends, since Iannarelli knows the staff sacrifices time with family and friends. “It’s like you gave them $15, which they would have spent on takeout,” Iannarelli said. “You can’t put a cost on keeping good staff.”
Family meal can also be a time to test out new dishes. Iannarelli and his team frequently dream up and share new sauces, dressings and sandwiches and then gather feedback. Every dish has to meet a high bar before it lands on the menu for patrons.
Sharing something new with peers can be daunting because “it’s like standing in front of class in your underwear. You put yourself out there,” Iannarelli said with a laugh. But “if the servers are behind it, they’re going to get the guests behind it, and we want everyone to love what they’re eating.”
Richards agreed. “You can’t hide when cooking a family meal, and if you aren’t putting in the extra energy and passion into your food, your staff is going to let you know,” he said. “But that’s where the magic happens: All of a sudden you create a dish that your staff is raving about, and you realize what you just cooked is better than some of the dishes we currently have on the menu, and then the next menu item is born. It’s lightning in a bottle and it’s addicting.”
It’s also affirming.
“If we can make just one person’s life a little bit easier or better because we cooked a meal with love, then that’s a win in my book,” Richards said. “We have the ability to change the world through food. Maybe it starts by cooking for others with love, one family meal at a time.”
