When a major café renovation required the complete closure of retail dining at a 254-bed Baltimore hospital, maintaining convenient employee and guest access to fresh food became an immediate operational priority. Rather than extending construction through a phased renovation or suspending retail foodservice, TouchPoint Support Services developed a temporary hospital ghost kitchen designed to keep dining accessible throughout construction.
TouchPoint transformed part of the hospital’s existing production kitchen into a streamlined retail operation supported by three self-service ordering and payment kiosks, two pickup locations, expanded grab-and-go options and temporary replacement seating. The model allowed employees and visitors to continue accessing freshly prepared meals while helping reduce congestion and wait times.
The ghost kitchen was designed around the needs of a busy healthcare environment, where hospital employees may have limited time for meal breaks. Digital tickets moved through a sequential production workflow, with TouchPoint associates preparing, verifying and packaging each order before ambassadors routed meals to designated pickup locations.
typical breakfast and dinner service time
typical lunch service time
ordering and payment kiosks
pickup locations
The solution also served as an early introduction to the hospital’s future dining experience. Because the same Order and Pay technology was planned for the renovated café, employees and visitors could become familiar with digital ordering before the permanent space opened.
Successful implementation went beyond technology. TouchPoint evaluated kitchen capacity, utilities, menu complexity and customer traffic; coordinated advance communications; retrained team members; and continuously adjusted the menu based on purchasing patterns and customer preferences. Hospital leaders embraced the concept, while customers responded positively to the speed, ease of use and food quality.
What began as a solution to a temporary construction challenge has become a repeatable model for hospital foodservice continuity, digital dining and healthcare café transformation. TouchPoint is applying lessons from the Baltimore implementation to another healthcare location facing a full retail closure during renovation.
Planning a hospital café renovation, digital dining transformation or foodservice modernization initiative? TouchPoint Support Services helps healthcare organizations develop flexible food and nutrition solutions designed around their facilities, workforce and operational goals. Learn how we can support your healthcare system: Contact – TouchPoint Support Services