As senior living evolves for new generations of residents, dining is on the forefront of innovation. To recognize the leaders who are raising the bar on culinary excellence, we are proud to announce the 2026 DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards.
The awards honor both the visionaries within provider organizations and the innovative partners who support the senior living sector at-large. They highlight the culinary experts whose creativity and passion are transforming senior living dining - from menu creation and innovating the resident dining experience, to leveraging new technologies, implementing new operational models, and more.
AWARD CATEGORIES
The following categories are open to providers serving senior living organizations:
IMPORTANT DATES
FEBRUARY 2026
Nominations Open
APRIL 30, 2026
Submissions Due
Subscribe to the 2025 DISHED Innovation Awards to stay up-to-date
© 2026 Arrowfly, LLC
COMPETITION FAQs
When do the DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards take place?
Nominations open on February 18, 2026. All entries must be submitted by April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm CDT.
Who is eligible to apply?
All nominees must be employed by a for-profit or nonprofit senior living provider and/or the vendor partners that support them.
What is the nomination process?
Individuals or an organization may nominate a person for the awards program via the online submission form. Below are key dates to note:
February 18, 2026 - Nomination window opens
April 30, 2026 - All submissions must be completed by 11:59pm Central Daylight Time (CDT)
How much does it cost to enter the 2026 DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards?
The entry fee is $525. All entries must be paid via credit card prior to the entry deadline of April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm CDT in order to be considered for eligibility for consideration and judging. Entry fees are non-refundable.
What items do I need to submit for this awards program?
Below are the minimum requirements for the awards application process:
Complete the Entry Form with the following information:
- Nominator's name, organization, job title, email address and phone number
- Information on their work for recognition, including:
- A maximum 500-word written statement outlining the nominee’s qualifications that address the judging criteria for the program (PDF or Word document)
- Current resume or CV (PDF or Word document)
- Nominee’s headshot (Hi-resolution JPG or PNG file)
- Professional Letters of Recommendation
- Submit a minimum of two (2) letters of recommendation (one (1) internal letter of recommendation and one (1) external letter of recommendation) or up to a maximum of four (4) letters of recommendation (at least one (1) has to be an external letter of recommendation) outlining why the nominee excels in dining innovation based upon the criteria set forth for the competition.
- Nominators should include contact information (email, phone number) for a brief interview/verification.
What is the judging criteria for this program?
Innovation Impact: Describe the positive impacts of the changes spearheaded by the nominee, considering areas such as resident satisfaction and engagement, staff satisfaction and retention, operational efficiency and profitability, and public perception of senior living.
Leadership Qualities: Briefly describe the qualities of the nominee that provides examples of their innovative contributions to senior living dining and include specific examples that demonstrate their leadership acumen.
Entrepreneurial Spirit: Describe the nominee’s ability to drive innovation in their organization, their initiative, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Ethics and Professionalism: Describe how the nominee has demonstrated exemplary ethics and professionalism.
What is the evaluation process?
All submissions will be evaluated by the Arrowfly, LLC, a Arrowfly, LLC company, editorial staff. The editorial team may select up to forty (40) members from the submissions.
Selection of a DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Award winner is at the sole discretion of the editorial staff. The entries selected for the inaugural DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards class for each category will be announced on May 13, 2026.
Who do I contact with additional questions?
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Arrowfly, LLC Awards Program Manager at [email protected].
Operational Optimizer:
Highlights operational trailblazers implementing new approaches and models to gain efficiencies, improve the bottom line, build stronger workforces and elevate overall operations, while maintaining and enhancing resident satisfaction
Culinary Canvas:
Recognizes leaders driving excellence in how dining programs are showcased across marketing channels, including imagery, video, social media, and other dining-related media content
Elevating the Experience:
Showcases innovators raising the bar on programming and service with the goal of boosting the senior living dining experience
Palate Pleaser:
Honors chefs and other food & beverage professionals for their innovations in menu creation, use of ingredients, and culinary techniques
The following category is open to third-party vendors serving senior living organizations:
Partner in Innovation:
Recognizes individuals serving senior living dining programs in a vendor capacity, through technology, equipment, ingredients, and more, with an emphasis on how their overall efforts have supported their clients’ ability to innovate
