Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare closing cafeterias

A local hospital is closing its cafeteria in an effort to save money. CTV Windsor’s Travis Fortnum explores.

Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) says it will close both of its in-house cafeterias, replacing them with vending-style ‘micro markets’ operated by a private company.

The hospital confirmed the move in a statement sent to CTV Windsor, calling it part of a cost-saving effort tied to the province’s push for long-term financial stability in Ontario’s health-care system.

“This was an extremely difficult, but necessary decision,” said HDGH President and CEO Bill Marra.

“It allows our Food and Nutrition Services team to shift away from retail operations and focus fully on meeting the nutritional needs of our patients and clients.”

Marra said the hospital’s two cafeterias — the Courtyard Cafe in the Tayfour Tower and the In Honour Cafe in the Emara Building — are currently subsidized at a “significant annual cost,” and that much of the equipment inside is at or near end-of-life.

He said the Courtyard Cafe will close as of Dec. 12, and that Krave Markets, a Windsor-based company, will renovate the space into a self-serve, 24-hour micro market offering fresh food, snacks, and beverages.

Marra said that will be done at no cost to the hospital.

Once that market is up and running, the In Honour Cafe in the Emara Building will also close, with plans for food service in that space “to be determined at a later date.”

Union says it’s a big impact for small savings

Unifor Local 2458, which represents six food service employees affected by the closures, said the change will hurt staff morale and eliminate jobs that have long offered stability.

“It’s very upsetting,” said Unifor Local 2458 President Ken Durocher.

“They’re good jobs. Monday-to-Friday jobs. A lot of high-seniority people have been in them jobs.”

Durocher said a few workers are being offered retirement packages while others will have the option to move into different unionized roles.

But he questioned the overall savings.

“We know the cafeterias don’t make ton of money and they’re not there to make a profit,” he said.

“They’re going to save probably just under $1 million over three years. But when you look at their operating budget over the three years, it’s a very, very small percent.”

He said he expects the impact will become clearer once the vending machines have been in place for some time.

“We’re going to feel how much more disappointing it is to have vending machines there — not to have that service for everybody at that hospital,” he said.

Nurses’ union calls cafeterias key support space

The Ontario Nurses’ Association said hospital cafeterias offer staff an important chance to decompress during long shifts.

“From providing patient care, you definitely want to get off your unit… You like somewhere to go, to just show up and have a healthy meal provided,” said regional vice-president John Lowe.

Patients and their families, he said, also rely on them – especially in a setting like HDGH.

“There’s long term care patients there and they look forward to going to the cafeteria to,” he said.

“For the variety or something different away from their meal trays, even if they have to pay out of pocket for it, it just it contributes to their social balance and their healing.”

Lowe also questioned the government’s approach to hospital funding.

“Our premier, Mr. Ford, if he would just stop underfunding hospitals, they could continue to provide all services that everyone deserves: Patients, staff, the community,” he said.

Ministry of Health: Hospitals asked to plan for stability

In a statement to CTV News, Ema Popovic, spokesperson for the Minister of Health, said it is “appropriate and responsible” for the province to ask hospitals to plan for long-term stability.

“This ensures that each community’s needs are reflected in the province’s broader health system planning as we continue to strengthen and modernize hospital care across Ontario,” Popovic said.

She emphasized that the government’s direction is about sustainability, not service cuts.

“Hospitals were directed to identify long-term stability solutions and opportunities for more balanced budgets without impacts to patient and clinical care,” she said, adding that each hospital’s plan “reflects its individual operations and capacities.”

Unifor’s Durocher said his discussions with HDGH leadership made it clear that the province’s directive didn’t call for cafeteria closures — that was the hospital’s own decision.

Popovic noted the province has increased hospital funding by four per cent this year — the third consecutive annual increase — as part of a record $91 billion healthcare budget.

A regional shift

Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is the last hospital in the Windsor-Essex area still running its own cafeterias.

Windsor Regional, Erie Shores HealthCare, and Bluewater Health have all outsourced their food service operations and tell CTV News they have no plans to change that model.