Fine Dining and Excellent Service Awaits You at The Greenhouse Inn 
by Barb Quaintance
Nestled on the corner of the Misericordia campus sits The Greenhouse Inn. For thirty-six years, The Greenhouse Inn has been a destination for residents, families, and friends from the community. Good food, good service by residents and volunteers, and the possibility of saying hello to Sister Rosemary or Father Jack makes The Greenhouse Inn the place to be.
The Greenhouse Inn serves approximately 30,000 diners per year. Patrons include families who dine with their residents, residents who are on dates or eating with friends, and large groups from the community. It’s not unusual to see a group of thirty having lunch or brunch at The Greenhouse Inn - and thoroughly enjoying the experience. Managers Lily Devey, a twenty-nine-year Misericordia employee who started at The Devon Café, and Katie Lewis, who joined Misericordia two years ago, keep The Greenhouse Inn humming. Felix Rivera is the head chef, responsible for the delicious offerings, and Manny Aguilar and Jorge Perez also cook. Believe it or not, they are the only paid staff!
The Greenhouse Inn serves a fixed-item menu, as well as the daily buffet. Felix sets the biweekly menu and orders the food. Most popular items? Ribs, the chicken pot pie and the chicken sandwich. All the desserts are made in the bakery and, needless to say, are delicious! The Misericordia Bakery also supplies bakery items for sale in the front of The Greenhouse Inn. Katie keeps track of what’s selling and orders bakery items each afternoon for the next day’s sales.
Volunteers and residents are the heart of the Inn's operations. Six to eight volunteers serve customers each weekday, with at least a dozen working on Sunday. Most of the weekday volunteers have been at The Greenhouse Inn for years and they know it inside out.
Many of the residents who work at The Greenhouse Inn - such as Stephen, Amy, Kevin, and Ann - have been there for many years. Most of the resident workers live at Shannon Apartments, one of the CILAs or the Village. Barbara Rush-Doyle of Misericordia's Developmental Training supports the residents, who earn wages at this job. Two residents work as dishwashers each day, others make sandwiches, while 2-3 serve food and "work the floor". When asked what he likes best about working at The Greenhouse Inn, Kevin grinned ear-to-ear and said, “These guys!”, pointing to Lily and Katie. Likewise, when asked what they like most about working at The Greenhouse Inn, Lily and Katie didn’t hesitate. They smiled warmly, and said “The residents!"
The Greenhouse Inn is open 11am-2:30pm Tuesday through Friday and 9:30am-2:30pm on Sunday. Please come and enjoy a delicious meal!
Note: Would YOU like to volunteer at The Greenhouse Inn? Misericordia is always looking for outside help! Contact Paul Schwartz at
Send yours to