Summary
Aldevra helped VA West Roxbury transition to a room-service kitchen model while maintaining full operations—solving ventilation, access, and workflow challenges.
Converting a VA Kitchen to a Room-Service Model Without Shutting Operations Down
Overview
The VA in West Roxbury is a 160-bed facility that moved from tray/buffet-style service to a room-service model designed to give veterans more autonomy over meal choice and timing. This required a full kitchen workflow shift, new equipment, and careful planning to keep daily operations running during installation and go-live.
The Challenge
1) A major piece of equipment wouldn’t fit the freight elevator
A $150,000 chef’s counter was measured in advance and thought to fit, but once on-site, it could not be transported via the freight elevator.
2) No option for a traditional hood system
The facility couldn’t support a conventional hood, limiting cooking options unless equipment selection matched the building constraints.
3) The kitchen stayed operational during installation
The team managed the movement, staging, and debris while the kitchen continued serving.
4) Go-live complexity: room service is a workflow shift, not just an equipment change
Room service introduces a new operational rhythm: from cooking in batches to producing orders dynamically while meeting a service-time standard.
What We Did
Planning-first execution (drawings + coordination)
We supported early-stage planning by bringing in a designer to produce layout and mechanical/as-built drawings that became the reference point for trades (electrical, plumbing, facilities, and any HVAC coordination). This reduced guesswork and helped ensure outlets, clearances, and equipment placement were viable in real conditions.
Solved access constraints with a crane and window removal
When the chef’s counter couldn’t fit the elevator, we coordinated a glass company to remove a second-story window and a crane lift to set the counter through the opening to keep the project moving without redesigning the kitchen around a single obstruction.
Built a ventless cooking strategy
We sourced ventless equipment with integrated fire suppression, enabling safe, effective cooking without requiring a traditional hood installation.
Operational support at go-live
We supported go-live by observing workflow, helping troubleshoot, and validating operational flow design including meal delivery cart strategy and staging readiness.
- West Roxbury operated with five delivery zones
- The model relied on two carts per zone (one in transit, one cycling), helping keep service moving and food hot within a target delivery window.
Stayed engaged after install (power + performance issues)
When equipment startup revealed breaker/power capacity issues, we coordinated troubleshooting between facility stakeholders, subcontractors responsible for electrical, and manufacturers. Even though the root cause was power infrastructure, the team stayed involved because the priority was restoring performance quickly.
Results
- Successfully enabled a room-service model designed around veteran autonomy
- Implemented ventless cooking where hood options weren’t viable
- Maintained kitchen operations while managing large-volume deliveries and debris
- Supported go-live workflow so the facility could shift from batch cooking to ticket-based service
- Stayed engaged post-install to resolve performance issues without pushing burdens back onto the facility team
Key Takeaway
This project succeeded because we treated it as a system conversion with planning, installation, go-live execution, and post-install support, not a one-time equipment drop-off.
Are you ready to upgrade your VA kitchen? Contact Aldevra today.
