ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A restaurant in Allentown is receiving a special distinction because of its commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
Jay’s Local is being awarded a Blue Zones distinction. Blue Zones is a nationwide initiative promoting healthy living and community interaction.
“This is the first Blue Zones approved restaurant,” said Jennifer Mann, with Blue Zones Project Allentown.
It’s a special honor for a special place.
“We opened in memory of my dad, Jay, back in 2019,” said Lyell Scherline, with Jay’s Local. “He was very fond of the Lehigh Valley and did a lot of community support.”
Now, Jay’s Local in West End Allentown is taking over Jay Scherline’s mission of supporting the community.
“The Blue Zones team reached out to us a couple of months ago to see if we wanted to become involved in a Blue Zones approved restaurant and we were all for it,” said Scherline. “Our menu is on the healthier side of things. It was just a few tweaks to the way that we do things here.”
“Blue Zones is a five-year sponsored program for the city of Allentown. It’s based on decades of research from the longest-living communities in the world,” Mann said. “I knew about Jay’s because of a lot of the different promotions that they do. They are so engaged and woven into the game fabric of West End Allentown.”
To receive the distinction, Jay’s Local needed to offer a healthy menu, whole grain alternatives, remove salt shakers unless requested, allow plate splitting and take-out boxes, and smaller plates and bowls for children.
“There is a menu of best practices that restaurants have to implement and sometimes restaurants may already be implementing those practices,” said Mann.
And Blue Zone approval goes beyond the food. Jay’s Local hosts weekly community gatherings and events.
“Anything that we can do to make our community healthier, live longer, be more active. We’re always happy to do it,” Scherline said.
Jay’s Local will have a Blue Zones ribbon-cutting this Friday.