Cini-Little International, Inc.

09/16/2025

We're excited to share some wonderful news about our expanding Cini-Little family!

Please join us in welcoming two talented new team members who are strengthening our regional operations:

✨ Tia Deines - Foodservice Designer, joining our Denver team

✨ AC Casalme - Foodservice Designer, joining our Toronto team

Both Tia and AC bring valuable industry experience and REVIT expertise that will enhance our ability to deliver exceptional foodservice design solutions to our clients across North America.

As Cini-Little continues to grow, we're committed to building a team of exceptional professionals who share our passion for innovative foodservice design. We're thrilled to have Tia and AC on board!

👏 Please join us in giving them a warm welcome!

09/15/2025

Building tomorrow's foodservice consultants through strategic education and mentorship 💫

As FCSI Educational Foundation President, Kathleen Held, CPSM is addressing one of our industry's biggest challenges: developing the next generation of skilled consultants.

For 30 years, the Foundation has created pathways for emerging professionals through scholarship programs, mentorship opportunities, and educational initiatives.

The results:

- $570,000+ in funding generated across three decades
- Partnerships with institutions like Western Kentucky University
- The flagship FEED Workshop program serving professionals nationwide

"When we invest in education, we're investing in the future of foodservice," Kathleen notes. "Every scholarship recipient, every FEED workshop graduate, every certificate program student becomes an ambassador for professional excellence."

The Foundation's comprehensive approach goes beyond financial support by creating sustainable career pathways that ensure our industry continues attracting top talent as we face evolving challenges in sustainability, technology, and operational efficiency.

Investing in people, not just projects, secures our industry's future.

https://cinilittle.com/2025/09/15/building-tomorrows-foodservice-consultants-through-strategic-education-and-mentorship/

09/09/2025

See you in the desert! 🌴

Cini-Little is excited to sponsor and participate in SHFM’s 2025 National Conference in Palm Springs, September 16-18! Our CEO Kathleen Held and Senior Project Manager Tim O'Mara will be joining the industry's most forward-thinking operators and partners tackling the challenges reshaping hospitality and foodservice.

Here's what we're seeing across market segments: operators are being asked to do more with less while simultaneously elevating the guest experience. Labor shortages aren't just a staffing problem. They're a design challenge that requires strategic thinking about workflows, equipment selection, and space optimization.

Kathleen and Tim are particularly excited to discuss:
- How design decisions made today will impact operations for decades
- Sustainable strategies that reduce costs while improving performance
- Future-proofing approaches for evolving service models
- Why operational efficiency and guest satisfaction don’t need to be competing priorities

Planning to attend? Stop by Booth #111 to connect with Kathleen and Tim. We'd love to discuss the challenges you're navigating in your operations.

09/05/2025

The challenges facing foodservice operations have never been more complex.

Labor shortages, rising energy costs, stringent sustainability requirements, and evolving consumer expectations are reshaping how we approach foodservice design and operations.

Our "Designing & Equipping Sustainable & Efficient Foodservice Spaces: 2025 Edition" addresses these realities head-on, combining six decades of Cini-Little expertise with practical solutions for today's market.

What makes this guide different:

✨ Strategic frameworks that integrate sustainability with operational performance

✨ Equipment selection strategies that reduce long-term costs while improving efficiency

✨ Technology integration approaches based on real-world implementations
✨ Insights from 20,000+ projects across healthcare, education, corporate dining, and hospitality

The guide covers everything from pre-design programming and operational flow optimization to connected kitchen technologies and comprehensive waste management systems.

Whether you're planning new facilities, renovating existing operations, or optimizing current performance, this resource provides the strategic framework to create spaces where efficiency, sustainability, and exceptional experiences converge.

👉 Read the complete guide: https://online.flippingbook.com/link/25950/

Special thanks to our contributing experts: Kip Serfozo LEED AP, WELL AP, Joseph Sorgent, Tim O'Mara, and Khaled Halabi.

A Comprehensive Guide for Operators & Owners by Cini-Little Design Experts

09/03/2025

🌟 Proud to share our CEO's inspiring story! 🌟

Our CEO and President Kathleen Held, CPSM was recently featured in Foodservice Consultant Magazine, sharing her remarkable journey from overcoming dyslexia to leading one of the world's largest foodservice consultancies.

What makes Kathleen's story so powerful? She turned what could have been a limitation into her greatest strength. Her unique perspective and analytical thinking have revolutionized how Cini-Little approaches client challenges.

Kathleen's journey proves that the most effective leaders aren't always those who follow traditional routes. Sometimes they're the ones who see patterns and solutions others might miss.

Being featured in FCSI's milestone 70th anniversary edition alongside industry thought leadership makes this recognition even more meaningful!

Read the full interview to discover how different perspectives drive extraordinary leadership.

https://cinilittle.com/2025/09/03/our-ceos-inspiring-story/

08/27/2025

Official The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education Provider ✓

Cini-Little is proud to offer architects HSW Learning Credits through our specialized courses in:

🍽️ Foodservice Design

♻️ Waste Management Planning

Each course = 1 HSW Learning Credit

Perfect for architects working on hospitality, healthcare, education, and commercial projects where niche sub-consultancy is critical to overall design success.

Ready to expand your expertise? Reach out to Kathleen to schedule your session.

08/20/2025

Exciting news! 🧺 ✨ Jamison Day from our Cini-Little team will be heading to The Clean Show in Orlando, FL from August 23-26!

As North America's largest exposition for laundering, dry cleaning, textile care services, supplies, and equipment, The Clean Show brings together professionals from across the textile care spectrum—creating the perfect platform for networking, education, and discovering the latest technologies transforming our industry. With Cini-Little's decades of expertise in laundry design and planning, we're excited to connect with fellow professionals and explore innovations that will shape the future of your laundry facilities.

Planning to attend? Reach out to Jamison if you'd like to connect at the show—we'd love to discuss your laundry design and planning needs!

See you in Orlando! 🌴

08/19/2025

🏥 Heading to the Big Easy! 🎷

We're excited to announce that CEO Kathleen Held, CPSM and Vice President Joseph Sorgent will be representing Cini-Little at the Association for Healthcare Foodservice National Conference in New Orleans, August 21-23.

As a proud sponsor of AHF, we're looking forward to connecting with healthcare operators, architects, and industry partners to discuss the latest innovations in healthcare foodservice design and operational excellence.

With nearly six decades of experience and over 20,000 completed projects, our team brings deep expertise in creating patient-centered foodservice environments that support healing missions while maximizing operational efficiency.

Find us at booth #332! Whether you're planning a new facility, renovating existing spaces, or looking to optimize operations, we'd love to connect!

📧 Reach out to Kathleen or Joe to schedule time to chat during the conference.

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and making new connections in NOLA! ⚜️

08/14/2025

🏥 61% of healthcare foodservice operators report staffing shortages as their top challenge.

But here's what many don't realize: poor facility design decisions made today will compound these staffing problems for decades.

After working on hundreds of healthcare foodservice projects, we've seen how design failures create cascading operational disasters that ultimately reach patients. When kitchen workflows break down, meal temperatures suffer. When staff are overwhelmed by inefficient layouts, food quality declines. When facilities can't properly accommodate therapeutic diets, patient recovery is compromised.

Healthcare foodservice has evolved beyond simply feeding people—operators are integral partners in the healing mission. Every design decision must support both operational efficiency AND patient outcomes.

In our latest article, our team shares strategic insights on:

🔹 Flow optimization that protects patient meal quality
🔹 Future-proofing strategies for growing healthcare systems
🔹 Phasing approaches that maintain operations during renovations
🔹 Why "food as medicine" demands better design thinking

The stakes are higher than ever. With healthcare ranking as the 5th largest greenhouse gas emitter globally, facilities must also be designed for sustainability while supporting the healing mission.

Ready to transform your approach to healthcare foodservice design?

Read the full article by Joseph Sorgent, with insights from Zach Swanson and Jonathon Turnbull: https://lnkd.in/ewTGJ5TB

What challenges are you seeing in your healthcare foodservice operations? Share your thoughts below.

08/13/2025

🎉 Exciting news! We're thrilled to share that Alison O'Hearn is heading to Nashville for the FCSI The Americas Emerging Professional Consultants (EPiC) 2025 Summit and will be joined by Clara Rodriguez, Cassandra Schroeder, and Rose Eggleton from our Cini-Little team!

📍 August 13–15 at Vanderbilt University

This incredible event offers emerging professionals in foodservice consulting the opportunity to dive deep into essential skills that drive career success. Attendees will also get exclusive access to tour Vanderbilt's cutting-edge facilities and hear directly from industry leaders including chefs, operators, and project leads who are shaping the future of foodservice.

At Cini-Little, we're committed to supporting the next generation of foodservice professionals, and we're so proud to have Alison representing our team at this premier industry event. Her dedication to professional growth and expertise in foodservice consulting make her an excellent ambassador for our firm's values.

08/11/2025

🌟 Celebrating Wagner Park's Reopening & Cini-Little's Role in Creating Sustainable Foodservice Experiences

We're thrilled to see Wagner Park in Battery Park City reopen after its transformation into a climate-resilient destination! The park's new pavilion will feature dining experiences opening in 2026, and we're happy we could contribute our programming expertise during the early phases of this remarkable project.

As Marleen St. Marie, our Senior Project Manager in New York, shared: "We were thrilled to contribute Cini-Little's foodservice and hospitality expertise to the Wagner Park project. It's wonderful to see Battery Park City revitalizing this cherished community space, and we're excited that our work will help create experiences that bring people together for years to come."

This project exemplifies our belief that exceptional foodservice spaces create meaningful connections. Wagner Park now meets gold standards for resilient, ecological, and accessible waterfront design—demonstrating what's possible when sustainability and community gathering merge.

Congratulations to the Park City Authority and all project partners on this incredible achievement! 🏗️🌱

👉 Read the Full Article https://cinilittle.com/2025/08/11/celebrating-wagner-parks-reopening-cini-littles-role-in-creating-sustainable-foodservice-experiences/

08/08/2025

⛳ 🦀 Golf Scramble & Crab Feast Recap

What an incredible day at the Annual Golf Scramble & Crab Feast benefitting the FCSI Educational Foundation this week at Queenstown Harbor Atlantic Golf Links!

Our Cini-Little team. Kathleen Held, CPSM, Joseph Sorgent, Kenny Patronski, Mike Perigard and Zach Swanson had an outstanding time connecting with industry colleagues while supporting such a meaningful cause.

The combination of perfect Maryland weather, excellent golf, and even better company made for a memorable day. But most importantly, seeing the industry come together to support the FCSI Educational Foundation's mission was truly inspiring.

The conversations we had throughout the day reinforced why events like these are so valuable - not just for the relationships we build, but for the collective impact we can make on workforce development and professional excellence in our field.

Huge congratulations to Robert Jacobs and the Culinary Advisors team for putting together such a well-organized and enjoyable event. Already looking forward to next year!