Sturges-Young Center for the Arts has suspended its dining service.
The announcement comes as city commission members recently approved a submission of notice to cancel the food-service contract with Creative Dining Services. As a result, that signals the end of services such as the traditional Sunday brunch, and in-house catering for weddings and events.
The center will continue to provide concessions and bar service during events. In addition, outside caterers are allowed to serve at the facility for weddings and other scheduled activities.
The move comes as staffing challenges during the pandemic hit Sturges-Young hard, said the center’s executive director, Sheila Bolda. The loss of kitchen and serving staff, and the inability to hire made continuing to contract for dining services difficult and prompted the decision to move to a more turn-key event rental operation, she said.