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Hospitality shift

Bolger, NCED selling holiday meals

USPS training and conference centers are offering Thanksgiving dinners, part of the facilities’ creative approach to revenue generation during the pandemic.

The Postal Service’s training and conference properties in Maryland and Oklahoma are working to recoup lost revenue as result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bolger Center in Potomac, MD, and the National Center for Employee Development (NCED) in Norman, OK, both have hotels and restaurants, in addition to conference rooms.

Before the pandemic, both properties hosted a steady stream of meetings, conferences and other events, which provided revenue for USPS and Aramark, the hospitality vendor that manages both sites.

“Covid-19 has definitely challenged the hospitality and travel industry, and our postal properties at Bolger and NCED are not exempt from that impact,” said Gail Hendrix, the Postal Service’s learning and development director. “While both properties are open, our business and our revenues look very different than we are used to.”

Hendrix said the Postal Service is working with Aramark to rethink and expand its offerings. “Like so many organizations, we are innovating and demonstrating our flexibility,” she said.

One example: Aramark is selling Thanksgiving dinners for pickup at both sites, using its food and beverage employees to make and package the meals.

“The food and beverage staff is small, but we must maintain this staff to support future business and the small-group bookings we are receiving,” Hendrix said.

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