An Emphasis on Health and Choice

FM Staff

Dining operations for the various Bristol-Myers Squibb facilities in New Jersey and Connecticut are managed by Sodexho Corporate Services under group manager Bob Marines. Serving nearly 12,000 Bristol-Myers employees, these sites encompass eight full-service employee dining rooms under the Breakaway Cafè brand umbrella, as well as two onsite tableservice restaurants. Augmenting these are three Main Street Express gourmet bakery cafes and seven satellite Sidelines cafes. The sites also encompass four employee stores, two hair salons and an e-store.

Healthfulness is a major theme of the food offerings across the sites. "Our mission statement is to extend and enhance human life," opines Ann McNally, associate director of hospitality, facilities & engineering. "A healthy lifestyle should be something we promote."

That emphasis even extends to the catering area—another of McNally's responsibilities— where the year's biggest event is the annual Race For the Cure running race that draws over 18,000 people to the Princeton, NJ, site where it is held. McNally, herself an avid runner who has completed four New York City marathons, proudly notes it is the largest running race in New Jersey.

A stroll through the Breakaway Cafè at the Plainsboro, NJ, campus shows just how the emphasis on healthfulness plays out in practice. While there is certainly plenty of choices for lunchers looking for substantial fare—from gourmet pizzas by the slice to handcarved roast beef sandwiches—the accent is definitely on fresh and light: mouth-watering salads tossed to order, vegetarian selections, stir frys and wrap sandwiches incorporating lighter proteins and plenty of fresh vegetables.

The Breakaway Cafes utilize Sodexho's Your Health Your Way program, which offers different menu selections appropriate for various diet regimens (low-fat, low-cal, even low-carb for those still practicing high-protein dieting). Each selection is tagged to indicate what regimen it is appropriate for. Tags also indicate vegetarian choices, which are made under strict standards governing not only ingredients but handling (for instance, not using the same kitchenware for preparing both meat and vegetarian dishes).

Another area of emphasis is choice, especially in providing a variety of flavor experiences from various culinary traditions. World's Fare, another Sodexho corporate program, proffers an international smorgasbord of choices each day, from Tandoori Chicken and Spiced Lentil, to Grilled Herb Polenta With Mushroom Ragout, to Tuscan Pesto Roasted Portabella Wraps. World's Fare extends to the catering menu as well, where selections like Honey Mustard Wonton Chicken Salads and Parma Tapenade Baguette Sandwiches are available alongside conventional selections like deli trays and breakfast muffins.

The Main Street Express bakery cafè outlets augment the main Breakaway Cafes at larger sites. They sell gourmet coffee, including Starbucks branded brews, grab and go sandwiches and salads, bottled beverages and gourmet-quality pastries and cakes made on the premises.