The Mendota Mental Health Institute (MMHI) has served Wisconsin residents since 1860, with its Food Service Building and Conference Center playing a central role in daily operations. The facility recently completed a major renovation of its production kitchen, dining, and conference center space to meet modern standards and improve efficiency.

The phased plan of the project allowed for a new production kitchen to be built within the footprint of the existing conference center space, which permitted the existing production kitchen functions to be in service 24/7/365. A key improvement to the efficiency in the kitchen workflow was the creation of a direct service corridor from the food service loading dock to new freezers, coolers, and storage areas, streamlining the flow of supplies and reducing unnecessary foot traffic.

The new conference center seats 200 guests and is now directly connected to the dining room and servery. New staff office space, accessible restrooms and locker rooms, a breakroom, and a wellness room were created.

Daylight in the facility was greatly increased with new clerestory windows, interior finishes and furnishings were upgraded along with new environmental graphics. Exterior envelope repairs also included masonry restoration, replacement windows, entrances, and roofing, as well as new exterior lighting, ensuring MMHI can continue its essential mental health services well into the future.