At Well-Spring, A Life Plan Community dining isn’t just about food – it’s about connection, community and creating lasting memories. That’s exactly the spirit behind the community’s Dinner and a Movie event, an exciting first for Well-Spring, inspired by the heartwarming film Nonnas and the traditional Italian Palio dinners that bring entire towns together around the table.
The concept comes from Director of Dining Todd Dumke, whose passion for immersive dining experiences began during a trip to Italy. While there, he attended a Palio dinner, a festive gathering held before the famous horse races in Siena, where neighbors dine at long communal tables stretching through the streets. After watching the movie Nonnas, which features beautiful scenes of multi-generational Italian families enjoying family-style meals, Todd was inspired to bring that same energy to Well-Spring.
With the help of Lenore Teer, Director of Theater Programming and Operations, the dining and theater departments are working hand-in-hand to create an evening residents won’t forget. The evening will begin with a screening of Nonnas in Well-Spring’s state-of-the-art theater – a 340-seat venue that regularly features movies, speakers, comedians, ballets, musicals and more. The featured film ties perfectly into the evening, reinforcing themes of family, tradition and the joy of shared meals.
After the movie, residents will head to a full Italian family-style dinner served across 11 20-foot tables. The menu features gemelli pasta in sun-dried tomato sauce, beef meatballs (prepared using the same recipe featured in Nonnas), fresh salad, seasonal vegetables, warm bread baskets, wine and dessert. The goal is to encourage residents to sit with someone new, strike up conversations and build new connections.
To keep the focus on community-building, the event allows only individual reservations – no group sign-ups – which promotes making new contacts and stepping outside the usual social circles. The idea is already creating buzz across the community. Within just two days of sharing the news with the Dining Committee, 80 residents had already signed up. Organizers are expecting as many as 225 attendees.
“It’s about more than the food – it’s about the experience,” Todd says. “The dining team really goes above and beyond to participate and make these events fun for the residents.”
Executing an event of this size requires careful planning. Twenty-seven dining team members will be on hand that evening, each assigned a specific role to ensure smooth service. Everything is being thoughtfully considered, from table spacing for accessibility to lightweight serving bowls that residents can easily pass. After the event, the entire dining team will have a chance to sit down and enjoy the same meal together – a well-earned thank you for their hard work.
“Residents trust that these events will be fun,” Lenore says. “We typically get great feedback; they know they’re in for something special.”
Dinner and a Movie is just the latest example of the creative collaboration between Well-Spring’s dining and theater teams. Past themed events have included a Great Gatsby soirée, a Hawaiian luau and Halloween celebrations that brought out costumes, laughter and community spirit. Behind each one are dedicated teams working to ensure residents live joyful, connected lives full of fun and fellowship.
By Jessica Ford
Kintura Content Specialist