PITTSBURGH – This week, Dr. Karen Hacker, Director of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), presented Corporate Chef Bill Fuller with the Live Well Allegheny Restaurant designation for all of the restaurants in the big Burrito Restaurant Group that are located in Allegheny County. The announcement was made at Eleven on Wednesday morning.

“The big Burrito Restaurant Group provides a variety of healthy food options in its restaurants for all Allegheny County residents” said Dr. Hacker. “I am so pleased to see the commitment to Live Well Allegheny across the entire company. The group provide a great model for how to provide healthy options for multiple tastes in a variety of eating establishments.”

The new Live Well Restaurants are:

• Casbah, 229 S Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh (Shadyside)
• Eleven, 1150 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh (Strip District)
• Kaya, 2000 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh (Strip District)
• Mad Mex, 4100 William Penn Highway, Monroeville
• Mad Mex, 7905 McKnight Road, Ross
• Mad Mex, 200 S Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh (Shadyside)
• Mad Mex, 2 Robinson Plaza, Park Manor Drive, Robinson
• Mad Mex, Scott Towne Center, 2101 Greentree Road, Scott
• Mad Mex, 370 Atwood Street, Pittsburgh (Oakland)
• Soba, 5847 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh (Shadyside)
• Umi, 5847 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh (Shadyside)

Each of the establishments has indicated the intent to work with the county to accomplish the goals of the campaign. Additionally, each has outlined steps to be taken by the facility to help meet those goals. At a minimum, the leadership at each establishment has committed to eliminating trans-fat oils, being smoke free and not selling tobacco products.

“As professionals we make our living by feeding people. It thrills us to supplement our mission of pleasing our guest’s senses with nurturing their total health and welfare.  We look forward to participating in the increased positive living of our communities and working in partnership with the ACHD,” said Bill Fuller, Corporate Chef, big Burrito Restaurant Group.

Each of the eleven restaurants is also committed to providing calorie counts and other nutritional information on menus or making the information otherwise readily available to customers; offering vegetarian/vegan fare; providing healthy side dishes including fruit and vegetables that can be ordered in lieu of higher fat/sugar/salt options; using plant based oils for cooking and baking; providing low calorie salad dressings; and offering low fat milk as an alternate to cream for hot beverages. Soba, Umi, Casbah, Kaya and Mad Mex Shadyside also provide a location to store bicycles at or near the restaurant.

The big Burrito Restaurant Group was also recently recognized as a Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant by Sustainable Pittsburgh.

Live Well Allegheny was launched in January 2014 as a comprehensive, innovative strategy on wellness that embraces a broad concept of living well to include physical health, mental wellness, personal and community safety, prevention and preparedness, and much more. The effort is being led by the Board of Health and Health Department Director Dr. Karen Hacker.