Lynda and Stewart Resnick built a retail and agricultural empire by emphasizing the health benefits of products such as pomegranate juice and pistachios nuts. Now, the Resnicks are encouraging their employees to eat with their health in mind.
The Beverly Hills billionaires opened Orchard, a health-conscious restaurant May 10 at the West L.A. headquarters of their company, Roll International Corp. Signs show the amount of calories, carbohydrates, fat and sodium that’s in each meal.
“We opened Orchard because we walk the walk,” Lynda Resnick said. “We certainly care about healthy food and nourishment.”
The Resnicks brought in general manager and executive chef Pete Rukule, who’s cooked up meals at Warner Bros. and the Playboy Mansion, to prepare meals for the 520 employees who work at Roll’s headquarters.
Orchard’s menu features daily specials such as black bean and turkey sausage cakes for breakfast or Moroccan spiced salmon with tomato basmati rice for lunch. There’s also a sandwich station, soup and salad bar, and coffee and smoothies. Of course, they can pick up some Resnick-owned POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and Fiji Water premium bottled water.
But employees won’t go broke eating at the Orchard. They receive 20 percent off all fare. What’s more, some meals are priced to encourage healthier eating habits. For example, an egg white omelet is $1 cheaper than a regular omelet.
It’s not the first time the Resnicks have operated a restaurant for their employees. The couple included a commissary in the headquarters of the Franklin Mint, a former division of Roll that markets collectibles. But Lynda Resnick said that restaurant didn’t always serve the healthiest of food.
“That was before our enlightenment,” she said. “So you could get Philadelphia cheese steaks.”
However, she said there’s still the chance for Roll’s employees to indulge at Orchard – without much guilt.
“The desserts do not have the calories listed,” she said. “So whatever they suffered through their main course, they can reward themselves with dessert.”
