CGH Medical Center celebrates newly renovated cafeteria, coffee shop

CGH Medical Center in Sterling celebrated the final phase of its lobby renovation Tuesday with a ribbon cutting for its new cafeteria and coffee shop.

The renovation of the new cafeteria, which will open Monday, May 11, marks the final phase of CGH Medical Center’s extensive hospital lobby renovation project that began in 2023.

This phase of construction started in April 2025, and was completed earlier this spring. Throughout the renovation, kitchen operations continued without interruption, allowing in-room food service for patients to remain fully operational.

However, to accommodate the closure of the cafeteria and dining area, a temporary cafeteria was established in the Main Clinic lobby. The hospital cafeteria will reopen and normal dining operations will resume Monday.

“I’m incredibly proud of our dietary staff – they’ve shown flexibility and commitment every step of the way,” said Cindy Zander, CGH Vice President of Support Services. “We also want to thank our patients and visitors for their patience. We’re excited to be in the final stretch and look forward to opening the new space that’s not only more efficient, but also creates a better dining experience for everyone who walks through our doors.”

The updated cafeteria features an expansion of nearly 1,000 square feet compared to the previous layout. Key improvements include a larger cafeteria, an expanded coffee area, and the addition of a service corridor to improve flow and efficiency.

The reconfigured layout will offer an open, accessible environment designed to support smoother traffic flow. The renovated space also introduces several new features aimed at enhancing the overall dining experience. These include a pizza oven, an iceless salad bar, a new oven for hot sandwiches, and a modern point-of-sale system for faster, more convenient service.

As with the other phases of this project, all interior construction work was completed by CGH Plant Operations and Maintenance staff. By utilizing internal resources, CGH remained fiscally conservative and mindful of its responsibility as a not-for-profit community hospital, according to a news release.

“Our POM staff take great pride in doing this work in-house, knowing that their family and friends are cared for here,” Zander said. “That pride shows in the quality of their work and the care put into every detail. Each phase of this project has strengthened our hospital as a whole – creating a space that better supports the care and comfort of our patients and visitors.”

The cafeteria remodel marks the conclusion of CGH’s multi-year lobby renovation project. Throughout this transformation, the hospital has added a new main entrance and west entrance (primarily for patient discharge), a redesigned lobby, new Auxiliary offices, an updated Auxiliary gift shop, a new admitting area and security station, patient consultation rooms, renovated restrooms, and a refreshed Ryberg Auditorium for meetings and events.

These upgrades were carefully designed to enhance comfort, functionality, and the overall experience for patients, visitors, and staff, according to the release.

“This project is just part of our broader commitment to investing in our hospital and our community,” Zander said. “We remain focused on continuous improvement and growth to ensure CGH is always moving forward to meet the needs of those we serve.”