Featuring NEXDINE Hospitality’s David Lanci on the Podcast Circuit
Our very own David Lanci joined Tony from Timpl to discuss the current state of senior dining across NEXDINE and the positive impact AI and robotics have on the workforce. You can watch David HERE.
At NEXDINE Hospitality, we’ve long believed that great food and genuine hospitality have the power to transform everyday experiences. That belief takes center stage in David Lanci’s latest podcast appearance, where he joins the conversation to explore how senior dining is being completely reimagined through scratch-made meals, meaningful human connection, and smart technology. David, one of the podcast’s original guests, returns to the mic with the same authenticity that made his first appearance resonate, back when audio-only episodes ruled and no one worried about camera angles or wardrobe choices. This time, the discussion goes even deeper into the business, the heart, and the future of hospitality.
Rethinking Dining Across America
The conversation quickly dispels the outdated notion of institutional food. David shares how NEXDINE Hospitality manages upscale, restaurant-quality dining concepts, from steakhouses and Italian eateries to wine bars, coffee shops, and sundries, across senior living communities, colleges, hospitals, corporate offices, and more. Today, those experiences span 28 states and continue to grow.In senior living especially, the shift is profound. These are luxury-hotel-level dining experiences, where meals are events, choice is expected, and retirement means enjoying life without compromise. No lawn mowing required.
Senior Living, Center Stage
Boomers are rewriting the rules of senior dining, and they are not settling for bland trays or rigid schedules. They want experiential dining that includes:
- Multiple venues on campus
- Made-from-scratch menus
- Freedom to indulge, including hot-fudge sundaes, because life is short and calories are negotiable
David also shares a touching personal story around family caregiving, adding a human layer to the discussion and reinforcing just how central food and service are to residents’ daily happiness and sense of dignity.
Personalization is the New Standard
At NEXDINE Hospitality, menus are never one-size-fits-all. Each community builds offerings around what its residents actually want:
- Health-forward, flavorful options
- Comfort classics without apology
- On-site kosher preparation that follows the Jewish calendar rather than relying on frozen shipments
- Aggressive local sourcing whenever seasons allow
Some communities are even embracing micro-farms and hydroponic growing units, harvesting herbs and greens year-round, often monitored from a smartphone like a chef’s personal garden.
The commitment to fresh food is serious. 70% of our entire food orders are fresh whole ingredients, and 100% scratch-made, including house salad dressings, hand-cut fries, ground-in-house burgers, and chicken tenders. There are no mystery boxes and no pre-injected shortcuts. Residents notice the difference and are not shy about saying so.
Tech That Supports, Not Replaces, Hospitality
Technology plays a powerful but quiet role in the conversation.
AI helps identify supply-chain inconsistencies, reduce waste, optimize pricing, and keep costs transparent across a fragmented, multi-state footprint.
Robotics handle the dirty, dull, and dangerous tasks. Cleaning bots provide black-light-verified sanitation, smart sensors help optimize labor, and dining-room delivery robots carry plates so staff can spend more time connecting with residents.
The goal is not automation for its own sake. It is about freeing people to be more human.
People Are the Difference
The heart of the episode returns again and again to people. By removing grunt work, team members have more time for smiles, stories, and moments that matter. That might mean lingering at a table, sharing a laugh, or pulling off a legendary carrot prank that turns a bad day around.
David also touches on workforce evolution. Today’s professionals want mission-driven work and clear career paths, and in hospitality, those paths are real. From server to general manager to regional leadership, growth is achievable when culture and purpose align. Whether you work in hospitality, senior care, foodservice innovation, or you simply enjoy hearing how robots might someday deliver your plate while someone tells you a dad joke, this episode is well worth the listen.